An environmental group says the state has failed to adequately control pollution form large farms; An investigation into the disappearance of a 21-year-old Braintree girl is now focusing on her uncle; Progressive Anthony Pollina is attacking incumbent Governor Jim Douglas for cutting the state workforce while rewarding top officials with bonuses; More Vermont families have been hit by the slow economy; and commentator Ruth Page on jellyfish.

Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.:

How much do lawmakers in Washington really know and understand about the changing economic circumstances of people in Vermont? Congress is talking a lot about real-world problems like rising gas prices and falling home values; but what effect will legislative wrangling have in the here-and-now? 

New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte is pushing for a central database to track commonly abused prescription drugs such as stimulants, painkillers and muscle relaxants.

How much do lawmakers in Washington really know and understand about the changing economic circumstances of people in Vermont? Congress is talking a lot about real-world problems like rising gas prices and falling home values; but what effect will legislative wrangling have in the here-and-now?

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson has this report from Capitol Hill:

State officials say work on the northern section of the Bennington Bypass is on schedule and part of the highway project could be open to traffic a month early.

Marlboro College is joining a growing number of colleges and universities around that country that are making the submission of SAT or ACT scores optional for applicants.

A new law allows Vermont farmers to sell up to 50 quarts of raw milk a day, but some farmers say the demand is much greater.

The privacy of library patrons' borrowing records has been an issue since the Patriot Act of 2001 gave the federal government broad new powers to investigate them.

A Vermont musician is at the center of a case that is to be decided soon by the U.S. Supreme Court in which drug companies are seeking federal protection from product liability lawsuits in state courts.

Vermont State Police say the uncle of a missing 12-year-old girl - one of the last people to see her before she vanished - has been arrested on unrelated sex charges developed as part of the investigation into her disappearance.

It looks like New Hampshire is going to remain the region's bargain on cigarettes for a while -- if you can afford the gas to get there.

Champlain College is celebrating its 50th birthday with pride in its growth, while some in the hillside neighborhood surrounding the Burlington campus remain uneasy.

A new report shows that phosphorus pollution remains high in sections of Lake Champlain; Vermont State Police say their investigation into the whereabouts of a missing 12-year-old is concentrating on a social-networking Website; A federal appeals court in Manhattan has upheld the death sentence for Donald Fell; Members of the Civilian Conservation Corps will gather in Marshfield tomorrow to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of the program; and commentator Willem Lange on the earwig.

This week came an announcement of layoffs at IBM, a compromise wiretapping bill, a decision on a hemp law, a visit fro mthe First Lady. We listen back to some of the voices in this week's news.

Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.:

All three major party candidates for governor agree on one thing - the condition of the Vermont economy is the most important issue in their campaign. But they have different ideas about how to create more good paying jobs in the state;  more...

All three major party candidates for governor agree on one thing - the condition of the Vermont economy is the most important issue in their campaign. But they have different ideas about how to create more good paying jobs in the state.

VPR's Bob Kinzel reports.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has issued a disaster declaration for four Vermont counties in the wake of June 14 flooding that damaged buildings and businesses in Rutland.

Nearly 200 people turned out last night for a community forum on racism in Brattleboro, where the discovery of a racist group and the arrest of a teenager on hate crime charges has shaken people up.

Two committees that oversee Burlington Telecom are recommending that the city-owned cable television system continue to broadcast the English-language programming of Al-Jazeera.

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy is applauding a U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the District of Columbia's tough restrictions on gun ownership.

Duke Energy Corp. of Charlotte, N.C., says it has bought privately held Catamount Energy Corp. of Rutland, Vt., for about $240 million.

The Vermont Department of Health is getting a new commissioner.

The Vermont State Police are going to be searching Sunset Lake today to try to find a 12-year-old girl who has been missing since Wednesday after she was dropped off to meet a friend.

Two Vermont National Guard soldiers will be decorated with Purple Hearts tomorrow for wounds they suffered in Iraq.

A man who wants to move three graves from a historic cemetery located on land he wants to buy in Hartford has been given the green light by a judge.

A legislative committee is scrambling to find ways to help Vermonters pay for the skyrocketing cost of heating fuel.

A legislative committee is scrambling to find ways to help Vermonters pay for the skyrocketing cost of heating fuel; Senator Patrick Leahy is applauding the Supreme Court decision overturning the District of Columbia’s tough restrictions on gun ownership; Governor Douglas says Vermont lawmakers didn’t take enough action to lower property tax bills; Dr. Wendy Davis has been appointed the new acting commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health; The Vermont State Police issued an Amber Alert today as part of the search for a missing 12-year-old girl; Two Vermont National Guard soldiers will be decorated with Purple Hearts this weekend; and commentator Bill Shutkin says that when it comes to climate change, vision is more important than technology.

The outgoing chairman of a Vermont House committee that dealt with utility issues has taken a job with Vermont's second-largest power company.

Governor Jim Douglas has appointed a professor of Nuclear and Mechanical Engineering to head a Vermont Yankee oversight panel.

Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.:

Senator Patrick Leahy says he'll vote against a compromise wiretapping bill unless Congress adopts a key change to the legislation. Leahy says the compromise doesn't hold the Bush Administration accountable for its effort to "illegally wiretap the American people" several years ago.

VPR's Bob Kinzel reports.

Vermont Congressman Peter Welch, and New Hampshire Democrats Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter were on the winning side as the House voted to protect more than 20 million mostly upper-income taxpayers in danger of being slapped with a tax increase.

Fish and Wildlife officials hope to expand a program to control lampreys on Lake Champlain. U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials want to expand the use of lampricide. It would be used in new locations including the Lamoille River, Otter Creek in Vergennes, and Mill Brook in Port Henry, New York.

A leading Vermont Republican says the absence of Democratic state Auditor Tom Salmon who is being deployed to the Middle East is a legitimate issue for the fall campaign.

University of Vermont student-athletes led the America East conference with their classroom performance for the just-ended school year.

Fire officials in Brattleboro say they evacuated a nursing home after work crews on the roof accidentally snapped a freon line, releasing the vapor.

A judge will hear a challenge today to a psychiatrist's finding that school shooting suspect Christopher Williams is competent to stand trial.

A section of Interstate 91 has reopened after being closed for much of yesterday after a fatal crash.

Veteran journalist Candace Page talks with VPR's Jane Lindholm about the impact of cormorants on Lake Champlain. Since arriving in the early 1980s, the big black birds have multiplied dramatically and efforts are underway to control them.

Dartmouth College is selling land at the top of Mount Washington to the state. The land on the summit will become part of the Mount Washington State Park.

Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.:

Fewer people than expected are enrolling in state-sponsored Catamount health plans. A state oversight commission is digging into the numbers. Officials aren't sure of the reasons for the low enrollment. They say some of the estimates may have been wrong to begin with. Graham Newell, a seventh generation Vermonter and iconic educator from the Northeast Kingdom, has died in Saint Johnsbury at the age of 92.

Fewer people than expected are enrolling in state-sponsored Catamount health plans. A state oversight commission is digging into the numbers. Officials aren't sure of the reasons for the low enrollment. They say some of the estimates may have been wrong to begin with.

VPR's John Dillon reports.

Rutland City is trying to clean up from flood damage in last week's storms. The sudden downpours caused city sewer lines to back up and overflow into businesses and homes.

Congressman Peter Welch and his fellow New Hampshire Democrats Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter lost an attempt to resurrect a bill to punish price-gouging at the gas pump.

The Vermont College of Fine Arts has purchased the historic Vermont College campus from Union Institute and University. The newly formed college will also purchase three masters programs from Union Institute and operate as a separate entity.

Biologists say New England's moose population is under siege from tiny ticks that have become so numerous in recent years that biologists are concerned about the long-term effect on the animals.

The Douglas administration is resisting calls for a big increase in spending on Vermont's statewide energy efficiency utility.

IBM is cutting 180 jobs at its Essex Junction facility; A settlement has been reached with the tour boat operator in the lawsuits brought following a boat accident in 2005; Remembering Vermont legend Graham Newell, who died in St. Johnsbury at the age of 92.

Rutland mayor Chris Louras talks with VPR's Jane Lindholm about how the city plans to recover in the aftermath of last week's summer storms.

Vermonters will get an advance peak at the newest Batman movie next month when Senator Patrick Leahy hosts a special premier of the film, ``The Dark Knight.''

Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.:

Military veterans from throughout Vermont got a chance yesterday to bring their concerns directly to the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sunbathers and swimmers will still be allowed to take off their clothes at a secluded beach on Willoughby Lake in the Northeast Kingdom. Following more than six months of wrangling in public hearings and the media, all three selectmen of the town of Westmore voted last night to table a controversial proposal to ban nudity.

Sunbathers and swimmers will still be allowed to take off their clothes at a secluded beach on Willoughby Lake in the Northeast Kingdom. Following more than six months of wrangling in public hearings and the media, all three selectmen of the town of Westmore voted last night to table a controversial proposal to ban nudity.

VPR's Charlotte Albright reports.

As summer begins, teenagers are heading to work at creemee stands, swimming pools, and supermarkets across the region.  And in Vermont, they're facing a job market with of the highest unemployment rate in 14 years. 

Former Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton plan to campaign together on Friday in the small New Hampshire town of Unity. It will be their first joint appearance meant to ease tensions over the closely fought Democratic primary.

The New Hampshire Democratic Party is filing a complaint against a Virginia-based business advocacy group that's running a radio ad attacking Jeanne Shaheen's record as governor. Shaheen is running for the U.S. Senate.

Vermont's largest cable television provider is going help people in more communities reach the information superhighway.

Military veterans got a chance to bring their concerns directly to the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs; The Attorney General’s office has issued a key Constitutional ruling regarding hemp legislation passed by lawmakers this year; First Lady Laura Bush came to Woodstock today to celebrate a grant for Vermont’s only national park; and commentator Charlie Nardozzi shows how East meets West when you plant bamboo.

First Lady Laura Bush came to Woodstock today to celebrate a grant that will provide trail enhancements for Vermont's only national park.

As the Vermont National Guard faces the potential for a large deployment, military officials are seeking to build up state reserves in case of a domestic crisis.

Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.:

Suspects in 11 federal criminal cases pending in Vermont say the process of selecting jurors is racist so the charges against them should be dismissed;  The cost of getting married is going up;  Some of the ECHO Lake Aquarium's temporary residents will leave their winter quarters and head home later this week. For the past nine months, the Lake Champlain science center has cared for 32 tiny turtles to help their species survive.

Suspects in 11 federal criminal cases pending in Vermont say the process of selecting jurors is racist so the charges against them should be dismissed.

Some of the ECHO Lake Aquarium's temporary residents will leave their winter quarters and head home later this week. For the past nine months, the Lake Champlain science center has cared for 32 tiny turtles to help their species survive.

VPR's Ross Sneyd recently paid a visit, before the turtles are returned to the lake.

New Hampshire is getting another taste of wild weather, after severe thunderstorms ripped through the state on Sunday, bringing hail, heavy rains and lightning strikes.

The Lois McClure, a replica of a 19th-century Lake Champlain schooner, is playing a new role as international ambassador. The boat is the flagship of the 400th anniversary of the European discovery of Lake Champlain and the Hudson River valleys.

FairPoint Communications reluctantly agreed to a two-month delay in completing its takeover of Verizon's northern New England landlines after a consultant funded by regulators expressed concern about FairPoint's readiness to assume full control.

Political action committees supporting Democrats in New Hampshire are pulling in a lot more money than Republicans.

Efforts to install a wood-fired biomass burner at the Fraser Papers mill are getting a boost from a group that invests in economic development projects.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders plans to hold a pair of Town Hall meetings with veterans today.

Authorities have recovered the body of a missing canoeist whose boat capsized on Lake Champlain nearly two weeks ago.

The state Department of Labor says the unemployment rate for May was 4.9 percent, the highest it's been in 14 years.

A Swanzey woman has been charged with stealing from the Keene Fire Department by posing as a food pantry volunteer.

The cost of getting married is going up.

The president of AARP in Vermont says a new survey indicates that the number of under-insured people is growing at an alarming rate; Steve Zind visits one of Vermont’s historic barns; and commentator Willem Lange tells us about turning points in his life.

Jim Leddy, the president of AARP in Vermont and a former state senator, says a new survey indicates that the number of under-insured people in the state is growing at an alarming rate, and that lawmakers need to expand the state's health program.

VPR's John Dillon joins Bob to analyze the top environmental issues in this year's gubernatorial race, and where the candidates stand on the issues.

Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.:

All three members of Vermont's congressional delegation oppose President Bush's proposal to allow oil drilling off the U.S. coast. They describe the plan as "a gimmick" that won't help lower gas prices for years to come. Instead, they have their own short term plan to lower energy prices.

VPR's Bob Kinzel reports.

A Bear Stearns Cos.'s fund managers charged in New York with lying to investors about the collapse of the subprime mortgage market is a Vermont native.

A New York-based religious order is returning a 126-year-old religious artifact said to contain bone shards of St. Francis of Assisi to a Bennington woman.

The parents of a 10-year-old boy in North Bennington say he was ``silenced'' by his teacher for talking about hunting in the classroom, and they're not happy about it.

The Vermont Division of Historic Preservation is looking for help in getting an inventory of the state's barns.

First Lady Laura Bush is scheduled to be in Woodstock on Monday to speak at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.

A Killington inn closed two months ago after being linked to Legionnaires' disease has been ordered to close again.

A children's book illustrator known for her whimsical drawings of gardens, pets and country outings in rural New England that echoed her own picturesque lifestyle, has died.

VPR's John Dillon reports.

For decades, the Grange Hall was the visual center of Ferrisburgh. But in 2005, just when it was to become the center for town government, it burned to the ground. This Saturday, residents will get together to celebrate the opening of a replica.

VPR's Melody Bodette has more.

With gas prices 20 to 30 cents higher per gallon in New York, drivers are crossing the border into Vermont to fuel up.

Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.:

The federal government has ruled that the Social Security Administration must extend benefits to the children of partners in same-sex unions, even if the parent is not biologically related.

An invasive algae found last summer in several Vermont rivers appears not to have spread to other streams around the state. But state officials are still concerned. They say that anglers and other people who travel from river to river should take precautions to contain the outbreak.

VPR's John Dillon reports.

A financial services firm will investigate unauthorized contracts issued by the University of Vermont to a consultant.

Fourteen members of the Dartmouth College community are beginning the process of identifying candidates for the college's 17th president.

Governor Jim Douglas' opponents are using the occasion of his campaign kickoff to fire a fresh round of criticisms at the Republican incumbent.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services says it's identified its first illness linked to salmonella-tainted tomatoes.

Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.:

The cleanup of flooding from Saturday night's rainstorm continues in Rutland, where the Asa Bloomer Building remains closed; Untreated sewage continues to pour into public waters around the state - especially into the Lake Champlain basin. The reason is that treatment systems are sometimes weakened by age or overwhelmed by heavy rains.

Untreated sewage continues to pour into public waters around the state - especially into the Lake Champlain basin. The reason is that treatment systems are sometimes weakened by age or overwhelmed by heavy rains.

VPR's John Dillon reports.

FairPoint Communications says it will delay a cutover related to its recent acquisition of Verizon Communications' landline operations in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.

Leaders of Vermont's travel industry say they think they can take advantage of high gas prices to increase business this summer.

They'll do it by giving away gas.

The cleanup of flooding from Saturday night's rainstorm continues in Rutland, where the Asa Bloomer Building remains closed.

Lawyers for the man charged with killing two people and wounding two others during a series of shootings in Essex two years are asking for a new mental health evaluation of the suspect, saying he is unfit to stand trial.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has been railing about the shrinking middle class for years, but until now, he didn't know the extent of the problem. But after appealing to his constituents to tell their stories of economic hardship, he got more than 800 responses that outlined in heart-wrenching personal detail how hard some have it these days.

Families say it's difficult to find quality, affordable child care. And business leaders say that hurts the state's economy.

Dozens of Vermont schools may switch to new heating systems that save energy because of the high cost of fuel. $15 million could help pay for the conversions under a bill sponsored by Congressman Peter Welch.