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BETHEL, Vermont) -- The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Vermont State Police are investigating the theft of explosives from a granite quarry in the town of Bethel. Police say the theft occurred overnight Wednesday at the Rock of Ages quarry. The investigation has shown that the suspects broke in through a locked gate and then broke into several buildings. Police says that in addition to explosives, the suspects stole power equipment. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the state police in Royalton.

For a little humorous break from the world of hard news, we have the embarrassing story of the Valley News that serves Vermont and New Hampshire misspelling its own name on the front page of the July 21 issue. The big oopsie was followed on July 22 with an egg-on-the-face, editor's note apologizing to the readers for this ridiculous mistake. Editor's Note - Readers may have noticed that the Valley News misspelled its own name on yesterday's front page. Given that we routinely call on other institutions to hold them accountable for their mistakes, let us say for the record:...

Shooter’s acquittal worries authorities ST. ALBANS CITY –– Matthew Martel is polite and has soft, boy-band looks. He was home-schooled and lives with his genial parents, Bob and Deborah, in a rustic white house with a wraparound porch that overlooks Route 105. Martel does not look like a member of the Franklin County Sportsman’s Club, but he is. He does not come off as someone who would buy a $450 handgun for target practice, but he did. Nor does he strike you as someone who pocketed a loaded handgun for protection four or five times during the last three years,...

Brook Bennett's murder has brought back calls for a tougher law against adults who sexually prey on children. More than thirty states -- but not Vermont -- have enacted Jessica's law, setting a 25-year minimum prison sentence for convicted child sex offenders. "When a person is sexually assaulted, a minor is sexually assaulted, it's my opinion that they should go to jail for 25 years," Dubie told Channel 3. "That's very simple and that's what Jessica's Law calls for. I'm also asking that we reconsider what the governor proposed last legislative session, and that's civil confinement." House Judiciary committee chairman...

I would love to wake up one morning and hear on Fox & Friends that the cops found a wannabe child molester dead in the woods rather than the kid he was about to rape. Is that too harsh? Okay, how about finding the perv bleeding badly from an 8mm wide crack in his skull, with a punctured lung, a shattered knee cap, a penectomy performed with a shard of dirty glass as he teeters on the verge of death in a patch of poison ivy smack dab in the big middle of grizzly bear country? How’s that? I hope...

TEEN SEX RING IN VERMONT There may be something about Mary but there is definitely something about judges. Perhaps the job, the power, the judicial robes go their heads? Who knows? The Supreme Court of the United States has made more than its share of screwy decisions, from the Dred Scott miscarriage of justice to the horror of Roe v. Wade and its subsequent result of 50,000,000 legal murders of the pre-born to its recent decision that child rapists can’t be executed. On my local scene, I still recall Judge “Cut ‘Em Loose Bruce” who was notorious for his years...

Visitors stand in the Aldrich Cemetery in Hartland, Vt., Monday, April 21, 2008. A land buyer's proposal to move three graves from the old family cemetery has caused outcry from historians, veterans and neighbors. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot) HARTLAND, Vt. - The 130-acre property was exactly what Michel Guite and his family wanted: an old Vermont farm with mountain views, rolling hills and meadows. There was, however, one wrinkle: The property included a small family cemetery — with the grave of a War of 1812 veteran — surrounded by a fence on a scenic knoll. His proposal to move the graveyard...

Three F-16s roared toward Fenway Park, flying wingtip to wingtip. Suddenly a fourth F-16, trailing behind the formation, caught up, flew under the three F-16s, then looped up and over the formation to take its rightful spot for a perfect V formation. The maneuver, performed during the Red Sox Opening Day game Tuesday, came just as the Boston Symphony Orchestra finished playing the national anthem. It elicited roaring applause and cheers from the full-capacity crowd, which clearly appreciated what it thought to be great showmanship. But as it turns out, the maneuver was improper and the Vermont Air National Guard...

Vermont senators call for investigation of oil pricesThe Associated Press 4/4/2008 MONTPELIER, Vt. — The Vermont state Senate called Thursday for Attorney General William Sorrell to launch a criminal investigation of major oil companies to see if recent petroleum price increases might involve price-fixing, consumer fraud or other violations of law. "At the same time that we are paying $3 and $4 a gallon for gas and oil, the oil companies are making record profits, billions and billions of dollars," said Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, D-Windham. "It's puzzling to us that so few politicians both on a state...

Didn't see one poted yet, and Early exit polling is already out. Let's all watch and enjoy as the Democrats continue to rip each others throats out!

Clinton gets 'Obama-ed' TRIBUNE-REVIEW By Salena Zito Hillary Clinton did not look back in the rearview mirror tonight after getting “Obama-ed” in the "Potomac Primary." Instead, she did what she does best: move on and move forward to the next contest. Kicking off in El Paso in what has now become the most important phase of the primary campaign, she hit the border at the same time her campaign became more marginalized by stinging defeats to Barack Obama in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

BRATTLEBORO (ruthlandherald.com) — Brattleboro residents will vote at town meeting on whether President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be indicted and arrested for war crimes, perjury or obstruction of justice if they ever step foot in Vermont. The Brattleboro Select Board voted 3-2 Friday to put the controversial item on the Town Meeting Day warning. According to Town Clerk Annette Cappy, organizers of the Bush-Cheney issue gathered enough signatures, and it was up to the Select Board whether Brattleboro voters would consider the issue in March. Cappy said residents will get to vote on the matter by...

BRATTLEBORO — Brattleboro residents will vote at town meeting on whether President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be indicted and arrested for war crimes, perjury or obstruction of justice if they ever step foot in Vermont. The Brattleboro Select Board voted 3-2 Friday to put the controversial item on the Town Meeting Day warning. According to Town Clerk Annette Cappy, organizers of the Bush-Cheney issue gathered enough signatures, and it was up to the Select Board whether Brattleboro voters would consider the issue in March. Cappy said residents will get to vote on the matter by paper...

BRATTLEBORO — Brattleboro residents will vote at town meeting on whether President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be indicted and arrested for war crimes, perjury or obstruction of justice if they ever step foot in Vermont. The Brattleboro Select Board voted 3-2 Friday to put the controversial item on the Town Meeting Day warning. According to Town Clerk Annette Cappy, organizers of the Bush-Cheney issue gathered enough signatures, and it was up to the Select Board whether Brattleboro voters would consider the issue in March. Cappy said residents will get to vote on the matter by paper...

Vermont town seeks Bush, Cheney arrests By DAVE GRAM, Associated Press Writer 6 minutes ago President Bush may soon have a new reason to avoid left-leaning Vermont: In one town, activists want him subject to arrest for war crimes. A group in Brattleboro is petitioning to put an item on a town meeting agenda in March that would make Bush and Vice President Cheney subject to arrest and indictment if they visit the southeastern Vermont community. "This petition is as radical as the Declaration of Independence, and it draws on that tradition in claiming a universal jurisdiction when governments fail...

Vermont Right to Life is the latest statewide pro-life organization to back Fred Thompson's bid for the Republican nomination for president. Their endorsement follows on the heels of those from state pro-life groups in West Virginia, New York, Wyoming, and Wisconsin. In a statement sent to LifeNews.com, Sharon Toborg, treasurer of the Vermont Right to Life Political Committee, says the endorsement reflects Thompson's consistent pro-life views and his ability to win the nomination and general election. “It is great that so many candidates in the Republican Primary are pro-life and have been strong friends of the pro-life effort," she said....

BRATTLEBORO, Vt.—He's got waterproof, size-11EEEE New Balance sneakers, a bright yellow poncho and a plan. He's got outrage in his heart, a Web site in his name and much of his retirement savings sunk into his cause. John Nirenberg, a 60-year-old Ph.D., author and academic, plans to walk from Boston to Washington, D.C., to confront House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in hopes of persuading Congress to take up the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. He's no activist, he says. He's not sure he'll make a difference. But he's going to try.

Northfield, Vermont - November 8, 2007 When members of the Vermont National Guard arrived in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, it was one of the most dangerous places in the country. But thanks to the efforts of Task Force Saber and the members of the visiting delegation, Anbar, and its capital city of Ramadi, are some of the safest places in the nation. "We have seen pictures and share them amongst members of Task Force Saber and the difference of Ramadi today versus what it was when we were there, you can't even tell the difference, you'd think it...

Maybe President Bush doesn't like Birkenstocks, or antiquing, or socialists. It could simply be that the health-conscious president just doesn't dig Ben & Jerry's high-fat ice cream. Whatever the reason, Mr. Bush has not visited the state of Vermont. He has been to 49 other states and stopped off in more than 60 countries, including Albania, Uganda, Qatar — even Mongolia — but still no trip to Vermont. Unlike the president's first-ever visit to Rhode Island in June — when he made an appearance at the Naval War College in Newport that both of the state's U.S. senators skipped —...

Environmental activists get a shock in Vt.By Kristi Ceccarossi, Globe Correspondent July 28, 2007 BRATTLEBORO, Vt. -- Activists opposed to development planted flowers and herbs in a gentle protest that stretched through the night. In the morning, when they refused to leave a vacant lot where a truck stop has been proposed, things got ugly. The protesters were Tasered by police. "It was torture," said Janisse Ray, one of the protesters, who witnessed Jonathan "Slug" Crowell and Samantha Kilmurray being shocked. Police acknowledged that they used the devices Tuesday, but said they had to use them to get the protesters...

BENNINGTON — After serving a congregation for almost 175 years, the United Methodist Church in the core of downtown on Main Street is up for sale. The Rev. Janice Palm, Embury District superintendent of the United Methodist Church Troy Conference, said the church had recently been deconsecrated and Methodist services will now be offered at the Bennington Free Library. Palm said the United Methodist Church wanted to maintain a presence in Bennington. Members will be looking for either an existing building or a new site to build a new church. Palm said rising costs created the need to sell the...

BRATTLEBORO, Vermont (Reuters) - A Vermont town that is gaining national attention for brash displays of nudity -- from teens in the buff to naked elderly people -- awoke on Wednesday to an emergency ban on nakedness in most public places. Officials in Brattleboro voted 3 to 2 on Tuesday night for a temporary 30-day ordinance prohibiting people from going about in the nude. Public nudity made headlines last summer when the weather grew hot and a couple of dozen teens took to holding hula hoop contests, riding bikes and parading past stores wearing only their birthday suits. The disrobing...

Often revealing the sketchiest knowledge of the show, mayors of Springfields as far afield as Illinois, Florida, New Jersey and Colorado have been jamming news channels to pontificate on why their town is just like the fictional version. Following an internet poll in which voters were asked to watch the films and choose the town which best represents the "Simpsons spirit", the winner was announced yesterday as Springfield, Vermont. In association with the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Vermont Film Commission, the town, which has a population of 9,000, produced an elaborate film in which "Homer" chases

Accused Fondler Out of Jail By Eric Francis Thursday, May 31, 2007 NORWICH - Just three days after he was ordered held without bail, a Norwich man was re-released from jail and placed back on "farm arrest" after a sexual assault complaint that had been filed against him last week appeared to falter. Gary Perkins, 53, was ordered released from the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield late Friday after Windsor County Deputy State's Attorney David Cahill told Judge Robert Bent that "the Norwich Police Department's investigation has moved along," and as a result, "the state does not believe the...

At Riverwalk Records, the all-vinyl record store just down the street from the state Capitol, the black "US Out of Vt.!" T-shirts are among the hottest sellers. But to some people in Vermont, the idea is bigger than a $20 novelty. They want Vermont to secede from the United States -- peacefully, of course. Disillusioned by what they call an empire about to fall, a small cadre of writers and academics is plotting political strategy and planting the seeds of separatism. They've published a "Green Mountain Manifesto" subtitled "Why and How Tiny Vermont Might Help Save America From Itself by...

MONTPELIER, Vt. --At Riverwalk Records, the all-vinyl record store just down the street from the state Capitol, the black "US Out of Vt.!" T-shirts are among the hottest sellers. But to some people in Vermont, the idea is bigger than a $20 novelty. They want Vermont to secede from the United States -- peacefully, of course. Disillusioned by what they call an empire about to fall, a small cadre of writers and academics is plotting political strategy and planting the seeds of separatism. They've published a "Green Mountain Manifesto" subtitled "Why and How Tiny Vermont Might Help Save America From...

Rally held to support troops NEAL GOSWAMI, Staff Writer Article Launched: 05/03/2007 02:58:22 AM EDT (Ret.) Steven Russell explains how Saddam Hussein was captured during a "Vermont... Thursday, May 3 BENNINGTON — The "Vermont Supports Our Troops Rally," an event on a statewide tour, was held in Bennington Wednesday night to garner support for soldiers serving overseas and provide insight into the capture of Saddam Hussein. The events, organized by Barre resident and veteran David Ayer, featured a guest speaker who was involved in the hunt and capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in December 2003. Lt. Col. (Ret.)...

BURLINGTON — More than 1,000 households in Burlington now have regular access to Al-Jazeera network in their cable package, one of few areas in the nation with access to the Arab-based station. City-owned Burlington Telecom, which serves 1,200 households in Vermont's largest city, began offering the Arab-operated network in its cable packages about six months ago. "We were certainly squeamish about it at first, given its reputation in the United States," said Tim Nulty, director of Burlington Telecom. "But if you look at it, it looks like BBC. I think it's more mainstream and more objective than CNN."

A federal judge on Wednesday refused to throw out a lawsuit by automakers aimed at blocking states from regulating emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. The decision by District Court Judge William Sessions III came two days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that automobile emissions are subject to regulation by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Sessions' ruling clears the way for a trial scheduled to begin Monday over rules drafted by California and being followed by Vermont and nine other states. Under those rules, states would regulate carbon emissions. The federal Clean Air Act allows California to set...

Earlier this week, Vermonters Ian Baldwin and Frank Bryan wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post advocating Vermont’s secession from the Union. Taxpayers should respond, “Go ahead, and take Peter Welch with you.” Welch (D., Vt.), Vermont’s newly elected representative, has proposed a bill called the Carbon Neutrality Act of 2007. Should it become law, Congress could order government agencies like the State Department and the Pentagon “to use portions of their budgets to buy greenhouse-gas offsets and renewable-energy credits,” according to a report in the Burlington Free Press.....

More than 30 Vermont towns passed resolutions on Tuesday seeking to impeach President Bush, while at least 16 towns in the tiny New England state called on Washington to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. Known for picturesque autumn foliage, colonial inns, maple sugar and old-fashion dairy farms, Vermont is in the vanguard of a grass-roots protest movement to impeach Bush over his handling of the unpopular Iraq war. "We're putting impeachment on the table," said James Leas, a Vermont lawyer who helped to draft the resolutions and is tracking the votes. "The people in all these towns are voting to...

Vermont Votes to Impeach Bush/Cheney John Nichols Wed Mar 7, 12:36 AM ET The Nation -- When Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, a Republican with reasonably close ties to President Bush, asked if there was any additional business to be considered at the town meeting he was running in Middlebury, Ellen McKay popped up and proposed the impeachment of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. The governor was not amused. As moderator of the annual meeting, he tried to suggest that the proposal to impeach -- along with another proposal to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq -- could not be voted...

Out on the town town last night to catch the Capitol Steps at the Flynn Theater. Pamela from Seven Days was my "date" and vice-versa. Good to be out and nice to see a lot of old faces. Haven't been to the Flynn in a few years. Pamster and I reminisced about our own earlier appearances on the Flynn Stage: she as a punk rock diva of the early 1980s, et moi, as a variety show actor doing Shakespeare's Henry V in the 1990s. Getting old. Just like Capitol Steps, if I do say so myself. But I hope we're...

Who the heck would want to listen to liberal talk up in Burlington VT, eh? Land of Howie Dean, Comrade (Sen.) Bernie, Phish, and Ben and Jerry? I'm being sarcastic of course but it looks like Air America BOMBED in the Champlain Valley. The new format of what had been Air America 1070 is now "Eve 1070"--talk for women. Part of the Greenstone Media network launched by the likes of Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem. I don't know if they're doing political talk (it would lean left if so)--but probably more "lifestyle talk". Hosts include Rolanda (who did a TV...

WTWK, formerly Air America for the Champlain Valley, is stunting this weekend. The new format is to be unveiled on Monday. Could oldies via satellite be making a return to the airwaves ever since Kool went classic hits?

Officials have confirmed the presence of a Canada lynx in Vermont for the first time in nearly 40 years. Wildlife biologists from Vermont and New Hampshire identified a set of lynx tracks in a state wildlife management area in Victory on Feb. 7. The Canada lynx is native to Vermont, but the population has always been small. The last time a lynx was spotted in Vermont was in 1968. "It is great to see this once-native species again in Vermont," said Paul Hamelin, a state wildlife biologist in St. Johnsbury. "There have been a few unconfirmed reports of lynx in...

Vermont needs to put out more of a welcome mat for Mexican workers employed at dairy farms around the state or those workers might start looking for jobs elsewhere, a Mexican consulate official in Boston says. Rodrigo Marquez, deputy counsel for the Mexican consulate in Boston, said last month that Vermont has a reputation among Mexican workers in New England as a place where they have to live in isolation because of a constant fear of deportation. Many of the estimated 2,000 Mexicans working on farms in Vermont are believed to have entered the country illegally. Nationally, there are more...

Some small store owners say they are armed, waiting, and willing to shoot if they are targeted by a gun-toting robber. It is the latest development in response to a record-setting rash of armed robberies in Vermont since the new year started. Some store owners tell Channel 3 that they have armed themselves and are fully prepared to shoot any armed robber, including the backward bandit. None of the armed store owners were willing to speak on camera, but they stressed they want any would-be armed robber to know that they will not hesitate to shoot. The store owners say...

NEW HAVEN — Fire destroyed the Dog Team Tavern, an Addison County landmark, early Friday morning. Late Friday afternoon officials said they had pulled the remains of one human body from the burned building. New Haven Fire Chief Mike Dykstra said police had not identified the body and didn’t know when identification would take place. As firefighters pulled down the charred remains of the tavern, the Vermont State Police Arson Investigation Unit was on scene combing through debris for clues to the fire’s origin. Officials said they hadn’t determined the cause of the fire as of late Friday afternoon. Investigators...

I THOUGHT I'D share a little political adventure I had in Vermont recently. My in-laws were in town and we decided to take our daughter to Billings Farm. As we pulled into the parking lot I noticed three cars with anti-Bush bumper stickers. "Welcome to Vermont," I told my in-laws. I joked with my husband that he should back our car into the parking space because of my conservative bumper stickers. "My car could get keyed," I said, half-jokingly. We decided to live on the edge and park with the bumper stickers showing for the world to see. One bumper...

Get out and vote tomorrow! And tomorrow's HC live thread will continue ALL NIGHT LONG as the results come in, locally and nationwide.

CASTLETON, Vt. -- A new name may soon join Fidel, Vladimir, and Karl in the pantheon of famous socialists: Bernie. That would be Vermont's US Representative Bernard Sanders, who, in this election season of tight races, appears to be cruising to victory in his campaign for the US Senate, according to recent polls. If elected Tuesday, he would be the first self-proclaimed socialist to serve in the Senate. Far from a stern ideologue, Sanders cuts an affable figure among his constituents, a trait on display at a rally this week at Castleton State College.

Amid the furious debate over Iraq and the speculation that George Bush may be a lame duck after next Tuesday's mid-term elections, an extraordinary political milestone is approaching: a cantankerous 65-year-old called Bernie looks set to become the first socialist senator in US history. Bernie Sanders is so far ahead in the contest for Vermont's vacant seat for the US Senate that it seems only sudden illness or accident could derail his rendezvous with destiny, after eight terms as the state's only congressman. His success flies in the face of all the conventional wisdom about American politics. He is an...

RCP leaks the premium numbers: Governor: Douglas (R) 52% Parker (D) 38% Senate: Sanders (I) 64% Tarrant (R) 32% House: Welch (D) 51% Rainville (R) 43%

MONTPELIER — A new poll shows Democrat Peter Welch has established a small lead in the race to succeed Rep. Bernard Sanders, one of a few dozen contests that could help to determine control of Congress next year. The poll found that if the election were held now, Welch would get the vote of 45 percent and Martha Rainville, the Republican nominee, would get 39 percent. The poll said other candidates would get 2 percent of the vote and 14 percent of respondents were undecided. WCAX-TV commissioned the poll from Research 2000 of Rockville, Md. A total of 400 likely...

BURLINGTON, Vt. (CP) - The governor of Vermont joined Quebec Premier Jean Charest on Friday in calling on Washington to avoid lengthening delays at Canada-U.S. border crossings. The leaders rejected recent proposals to deploy troops and build a giant fence along Canada's southern border. "To have troops along the longest friendly undefended border in the history of the world, I don't think it's necessary," said Gov. James H. Douglas said. The question of border security was raised during a symposium at Burlington College on Quebec-Vermont relations. The two leaders took advantage of the meeting to express opposition to the Western...

FAIRLEE, Vt. -- Who needs a car at the drive-in theater? Just go straight to bed. The Fairlee Motel and Drive-In Theater combines the best of roadside America. Drive in, and you have your classic outdoor experience. Check in, and a picture window and NuTone speaker give you the same show from your king-size bed _ with air conditioning and no mosquitoes. Please don't wipe popcorn butter on the sheets. Someone taller than about 5-foot-8 can even watch the movie from the shower, through the tiny bathroom window. The Fairlee is one of at least two drive-in motels in the...

Flight passenger sent to mental hospital By DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press Writer Published: Tuesday, September 5, 2006 WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) - A woman whose actions aboard a London-to-Washington flight provoked a security scare will be held indefinitely at a residential mental health facility in New Hampshire, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. Catherine Mayo, 59, of Braintree, Vt., has been in federal custody since Aug. 17, when United Flight 923 was diverted to Boston after Mayo urinated on the floor of the cabin and made statements that the pilot and crew believed were references to al-Qaida and the Sept. 11 attacks....

Based on reading the USDA’s draft proposal for the National Animal Identification System some people are wondering how the USDA is going to tag all the wild animals that fall within the working species groups that must be tracked. The USDA says we don’t have to tag the wild animals. That is good to know... It is the year 2009, February 22nd, the birthday of General George Washington. Today it is a bit windy and the cold is biting here on the eastern slope of Sugar Mountain in northern Vermont. The USDA shows up at my doorstep demanding to know...

It was March 2003, the eve of the US invasion of Iraq, and into the office of dumbfounded Pakistani newspaper editor Najam Sethi walked an articulate, fresh-faced Vermont woman, saying she wanted to vent her anger at America in his pages. Violence-plagued Lahore teemed with anti-American sentiment, yet Catherine C. Mayo seemed to move about with ease, Sethi recalled. And writing for the Daily Times of Pakistan, Mayo told about her 1960s activism. About her love of Cat Stevens and Howard Dean. About the mountains and lakes of her native Vermont. And about her shame and anger at America.