Your afternoon news update with host Cristina Kumka

It's Monday afternoon and there's a lot of hard news coming out of Washington, D.C., and from the offices of our state representatives. From the market antics to President Obama's comments, from the impact of Congress' action on the debt ceiling to expansions in the communication technology and medical fields, there's a boatload of important news breaking today, most of it having a direct impact on our daily lives. Here is a quick digest:


Obama calls credit downgrade and economic tumult 'imminently solvable;' market loses more than 600 pts
President Barack Obama on Monday essentially dismissed the first-ever downgrade of the U.S. credit rating, and the downward tumble of the stock market, trying to reassure investors and the public. He said that the nation's leaders need only show more "common sense and compromise" to tame a staggering accumulation of debt.
Seeking to demonstrate command in a volatile economic climate, Obama said he hoped the decision by Standard & Poor's would at least give Congress a renewed sense of urgency to tackle debt problems. He said that must be done mainly by taking on the politically difficult issues of reforming taxes and entitlement programs in the coming months.
In his first public comments on the credit downgrade, which S&P announced late Friday, Obama said Washington had the power to fix its own political dysfunction.
"Markets will rise and fall," he said. "But this is the United States of America. No matter what some agency may say, we've always been and always will be a triple-A country."
S&P officials dropped the government's rating to AA+ from the top rating, AAA, based on a lack of confidence that Congress and the president will be able to shake their political gridlock and make more serious reductions in the long-term debt. The agency was dissatisfied with the deal lawmakers reached last week just in time to prevent a government default.
Obama said most of the world's investors agree that the United States remains a wise place to put their money.
Still, stocks sunk in trading Monday as U.S. investors joined a global sell-off after the downgrade.

Vermont could lose millions because of federal budget reductions
There's a story on Vermont Public radio that poses a question and possibly represents an ominous foreshadow - will Vermonters in need be able to continue to get services paid for through the federal government?
Bob Kinzel of Vermont Public Radio reports today that state economists are speculating on how Vermont will suffer financially from the federal government's new debt ceiling legislation.
According to Kinzel's report, Vermont could lose tens of millions of dollars over the next decade.
The new law calls for $2.5 trillion in federal budget reductions over the next 10 years. Some of the initial savings will be the result of level funding most federal programs and eliminating adjustments for inflation. And a second round of cuts could reduce spending on a wide variety of programs, according to Kinzel's report.
Paul Cillo, president and executive director of the Public Assets Institute in Montpelier, said it means less federal money for education, health care, law enforcement and transportation programs and the state is going to have to make tough choices on what to cut.
Art Woolf, an economics professor at the University of Vermont and the publisher of the Vermont Economy Newsletter, said he thinks cuts could be a good thing because locals would pay for their services and have more awareness and control of where their own money is going.
Congress is expected to identify the first round of budget reductions sometime this fall, according to Kinzel.

Leahy declares victory of electronic records at one office
Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc., will hold a joint press conference at 11:45 a.m. Friday with Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy to announce the first Vermont physician practice to successfully participate in the federal electronic health records incentive program.
The meeting will also result in the discussion of improvements in patient care that have resulted from use of the electronic health records system.


Wells energy forum posting gets much response; thank you readers!
This afternoon, I posted a response from Annette Smith, an environmental activist, to this weekend's Voices For Good/Freedom from Harm festival atop Northeast Mountain in Wells. The festival was organized and hosted by a Russian artists who are fighting to keep a wireless communcation tower off property 60-feet from their home. Here's the response I got from attendees via email this afternoon:

"I attended this event on Saturday and learned a great deal about the unregulated radiation from radio frequencies and microwaves that cellular technology and other wireless tech, employ. I was appalled that our own government has neglected to respond to it's own agencies questions and input regarding the public health and safety of this much used technology. I would hope that the press would be interested in spreading the news about this reasonable concern to all citizens, and in pursuing the FCC and other agencies to disclose the reasons that they ignore the EPA and others requests. The last study of this technology was done in 1997. Ialso learned that most of this property has now been condemned, making it almost impossible for the owners of this house to either live their, or to sell. It seem an abuse of eminent domain to me" - Cathy Walker of Wells

"The American population is under siege by big business trying to use technology to reduce their own overhead and increase their profit margins. The data presented on health risks resulting from micro wave and wireless technology was very alarming. My meter reader was at my farm this morning and I asked him if he as an employee was aware of the social and health risks associated with implementation of "Smart Matering" he said, as an employee they have been told its coming, and that approximately fifty percent of meter readers stand to lose their jobs. Thats' it. Here is a simple idea.....
Utility companies can charge people a monthly average based on their seasonal highs and lows. Then once every 3-4 months the utility company could come and do an actual reading, then, adjust the billing accordingly. To charge people for not wanting a smart meter is outrageous, especially since the utilities are not telling peolple the health and invasion of privacy issues. Installing Smart Meters costs money. Not installing them saves money, jobs and protects personal health. This should be front page and national news . People need to be aware of this assault and should be screaming mad. I am! The media is one of the very few tools available to help educate the populous at large. I am so glad I made that trek up their mountainside." - Josh Nelson of Pawlet

"I'm appalled that Vermont is going to permit the construction of an expanded cellphone tower on Northeast Mountain. Not only will it be a huge eyesore to hundreds or thousands of people in our area - in direct contrast to Vermont's environmentally friendly and concerned philosophy - it will destroy the livability of the dwelling just a few feet from the site. I've enjoyed the bucolic beauty of this area since building here in 1965, and this sort of affront is not in keeping with the rural character of the area." - William Schiff of Wells


More on tonight's police meeting
Brent Curtis is going to tonight's Rutland police commission meeting and here's the latest about what expected:
As part of an ongoing effort to reach out to the community, the five-member commission will meet at 6 p.m. tonight at the Godnick Center on Deer Street.
The commission's agenda includes a talk with officers from Vermont Fish and Game and a discussion about the department's policies as part of an ongoing effort to receive accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
Brent has been following the Rutland Police Department intently for more than a year since he broke a story about some officers viewing pornography on city-owned computers and mishandling evidence. His story, which came from a tip, resulted in public exposure of the issue and one officer's exit from the department. It was a true showing of the power of public information and the Rutland Herald continues to fight for the release of documents and other materials related to the case.

Feetwarmers close Castleton concert series
The Castleton Concerts on the Green series comes to an end today with Reggie's Red Hot Feetwarmers.The Feetwarmers will thrill audiences with the New Orleans Dixieland sound. Also performing tonight are Chance and Giselle, a dancing duo from New Orleans with unbelievable energy and dancing moves. The concerts starts at 7 p.m. on the village green and is free and open to the public. The rain rite is the Fine Arts Center at Castleton State College. For more information, call 802-272-2911.


Riding the top of a mountain
Check out this You Tube video of this past weekend's Gravity East Downhill mountain bike race at Sugarbush Resort.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMJqEr0yY-8


Tom Evslin on the economic crisis
From State Editor Rob Mitchell today: Former state technology guru under the Douglas administration and current conservative/economic commentator Tom Evslin had the following to say on the economic crisis, on his blog "Fractals of Change" -


Skilled meat cutters wanted
Vermont Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross announced today an award of $25,000 from the Vermont Legislature for the development of curriculum and training for the Meat Cutter Training Program.
Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets is now accepting proposals from educational institutions and other organizations for program development, as well as nominations for representatives to the Meat Cutter Training Advisory Team that will work with the selected contractor.

The goal of the Meat Cutter Training Program is to support meat and poultry processors and producers, create jobs, and enhance Vermont's livestock industry. An additional $22,500 is available for program development. Any qualified educational institution, apprenticeship organization or other job training organization is eligible to apply. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Sept. 1. Additionally, $2,500 is available for stipends for Advisory Team members. Nominations are encouraged from representatives of the following industries: livestock slaughter and processing; meat distribution, marketing and/or retail; and technical education. Self-nominations are encouraged. All nominations are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22.

"This administration knows that agricultural development is economic development," said Ross. "The skilled meat cutter training program is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at assisting Vermont farm businesses to capture a greater share of the consumer food dollar. We know that dollars spent locally have a large multiplier effect on the state's economy, spurring job creation for more Vermonters."

Contact Chelsea Bardot Lewis, Agricultural Development Coordinator, at 802-828-3360 or chelsea.lewis@state.vt.us chelsea.lewis@state.vt.us> for the full application packet or more information on any of the above programs.



CVPS reports earnings today
Central Vermont Public Service Corp. on Monday reported earnings of $9.2 million, or 67 cents per share, for the first six months of 2011, compared to $5.6 million, or 46 cents per share, for the same period in 2010.

Second-quarter earnings were $700,000, or 5 cents per share, 6 cents lower than in 2010.

The company said the improved earnings through the first six months were driven in part by increases in operating revenue and decreases in operating expenses and storm restoration costs compared to the first six months of 2010. Earnings were reduced in the second quarter by costs associated with the company's pending sale to Gaz Metro, the parent company of Green Mountain Power Corp.

"The sale and ultimate merger with Green Mountain Power will provide exceptional benefits to shareholders, customers, stakeholders and the state of Vermont," CVPS President and CEO Larry Reilly said in a statement. "In the short term, expenses associated with the sale have had, and will continue to have a negative affect on earnings; however, the sale agreement allows the company to continue to pay a quarterly dividend of 23 cents per share."

Reilly continued that beyond the merger expenses, CVPS will "continue to make steady progress as evidenced by the improved overall earnings, and the sale will ultimately provide shareholders a significant premium."
-- Bruce Edwards, staff writer


Rutland streets closed today
There's paving going on in the city this morning and portions of Court Street and Washington Street are closed.
According to City Engineer Evan Pilachowski, the paving is happening from South Main Street down Washington to just past Court Street.
There is no set timetable for when the streets will reopen but it could possibly take all day, he said.

World's top obstacle racer 'crushed' by The Beast
Hobie Call, the Utah native and marathon runner, used to be the best obstacle racer in the world.
On Saturday in Killington, he was beat by a mountain. According to Spartan Beast Race co-founder Joe Desena, the 12-mile obstacle course built on the Beast of the East, or Killington Peak, beat Call for the first time.
The title has moved to Canada, with Marc Andre Bedard, 25, of Quebec finishing first in the race for the men with a time of 2:56:09.
On the ladies side, Caitlin Hickin, 28, of Queensbury, New York came in first with a time of 03:46:29. Hometown favorite Margaret Schlachter came in third with a time of 3:57:59.
The race, the first of its kind in Vermont, was filled with more than 20 hidden obstacles that tested competitors physical and mental will for hours.
Race CEO Brian Duncanson said today that "the course that we put together was so difficult that it pushed him (Call) past his normal point." Call cramped up and failed to finish in the top five spot. Race organizers were shocked. "We took bets on who could finish within 5 minutes of Hobie on a 8-mile course," Duncanson. "We have found a level of endurance Hobie doesn't go into very often. Not many people do," he said.


Vermont to get more broadband service
MONTPELIER - The Vermont Telecommunications Authority and VTel Wireless announced Monday an agreement to provide broadband services to targeted communities.
By November 2012, VTel Wireless will provide broadband accessibility to Backroads Broadband Target Communities within the towns of Newfane, Westminster, Stratton and Wardsboro.
Equipment installed to service the designated communities will also provide expanded broadband coverage to areas within the towns of Putney, Townshend, and Dummerston.
More than 1,600 addresses will have access to the new service with an upload speed of at least one megabit per second and combined download and upload speeds equal to or greater than five megabits per second.
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority announced in March it would award a $2 million grant to VTel Wireless to provide broadband in unserved areas in southern Vermont through its Backroads Broadband Program. The funding was made available through a state appropriation in the Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2010.
"This project will address gaps in broadband service in southeast Vermont that would be very difficult to reach without state assistance." said Christopher Campbell, executive director of the VTA.
Availability of the VTel service in the selected Target Communities also will support the marriage between broadband infrastructure and SmartGrid by expanding infrastructure Vermont electric utilities will be able to use when communicating with smart meters.
Last year, VTel Wireless was awarded a federal stimulus grant and loans through the Rural Utilities Service to build a wireless broadband network that will provide fourth-generation (4G) wireless broadband service to wide areas of Vermont. While that project will greatly increase the number of rural homes with access to broadband service, the network will not cover all unserved locations.
The VTA grant to VTel Wireless will be used to fund equipment to extend the new broadband service into adjacent unserved areas.
-- Bruce Edwards, staff writer


Gasoline prices plunging in Vermont
MONTPELIER - A price-monitoring website says average retail gas prices in Vermont are plunging.
VermontGasPrices.com says Sunday's average of $3.59 was down 15.8 cents from a week ago.
But gas prices are still 84.3 cents per gallon higher than the same day a year ago, and 9.7 cents higher than a month ago.
Sunday's average price in Vermont also compares with the national figure, which has fallen 3.7 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.66.
The website is closely following declines in the price of crude oil and gasoline futures, which are expected to have an impact on pump prices in the upcoming week. Check it at www.VermontGasPrices.com


Trolley Line talk in West Rutland
Reporter Lucia Suarez says there's a meeting in West Rutland tonight aimed at trying to rehab an old trolley line. Here's what she submitted:

WEST RUTLAND - A public meeting will be held today to discuss a potential project for the historic Funkhouser Trolley Line, which runs to Castleton, parallel to Route 4A. The meeting is at the West Rutland Town Hall at 5:30 p.m. The towns of Ira, Castleton and West Rutland are preparing to apply for a transportation enhancement grant with the Agency of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study for the project. The purpose of the project is to construct a multi-use path along the historic Funkhouser Trolley Line.


GMC receives top 10 ranking in Princeton Review
Green Mountain College in Poutlney received a top 10 ranking in the Princeton Review's “Best 376 Colleges.”
Classes are small at GMC and discussions are lively which is why the college ranked sixth in the nation in the category of “class discussions encouraged.”
The evaluation appears as part of the Princeton Review's “Best 376 Colleges” 2012 edition released earlier this week.
Only about 15 percent of the country's 2,5000 four-year colleges are profiled in the book. Three colleges outside of the United States are also profiled.
It includes detailed profiles of the colleges with rating scores for all schools in eight categories, plus lists top 20 schools in 62 categories based on surveys of students attending the colleges.
Green Mountain College was also rated among the most environmentally responsible schools in the country by the Princeton Review and was named the greenest school in the nation by Sierra magazine.

Wallingford man airlifted to NH hospital
The newsroom is bustling today. Here's the latest from crime and courts reporter Brent Curtis:

WALLINGFORD - A man injured in a tractor rollover off West Hill Road Sunday night was airlifted to a New Hampshire hospital Sunday night for treatment.
Wallingford Fire Chief Jeffrey Duchesne said firefighters and rescue crews were called at about 6 p.m. to a home on the road where a tractor had over an embankment. Duchesne said when he arrived at the scene, the man had been pulled from under the tractor and was being treated by rescue personnel.
The chief said he didn't know the name of the man who he said appeared to be more than 50 years of age.
Emergency crews from Wallingford Rescue, Mount Holly Rescue and Regional Ambulance treated the man before he was airlifted by a helicopter bound for Dartmouth Regional Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.
Duchesne said the man was conscious and talking with his rescuers before he was transported.


Vermont news you can use: Best recipe for deskunking your pets
One of our graphics experts, Kristin Mahoney, told us this morning about an all-too-typical nightmare involving dogs and wildlife in Vermont.
Yes, her canine got sprayed by a skunk!
Her dog, Ziggy, is a West Highland Terrier. On Saturday night, all was calm as she and her family arrived home with Ziggy and their other dog in the car. "Ziggy bolted out as we arrived, and, before anyone could stop him, he pounced on a skunk."
Ziggy didn't have a chance.
"When he got sprayed, he ran away. My next 30 seconds was to make sure my other dog, Lucky, didn't sprayed as well," Mahoney said.
Lucky stayed lucky. Ziggy, not so much.
Mahoney found this de-skunking formula on the Web and she wanted to share it with you today.
"This is way cleaner and better than tomato juice or Scope," she reported.
Here's the magic recipe:
1 Qt 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp. liquid soap

She followed the Website's directions: All you need to do is wet down the dog with a hose, mix the ingredients together in a container, and then slowly pour the mixture over the dog while rubbing it into the fur. After the dog has been bathed in this solution rinse it down with the hose and the dog will be odor free.
Although the ingredients are not dangerous, care should obviously be taken to keep the solution out of your dog's eyes, ears and mouth. Also remember that hydrogen peroxide can bleach clothing.

Credit for this remedy goes to chemist, Paul Krebaum , of Molex Inc. in Lisle, Illinois.

Head 3.5 hours north for Ke$sha, Flo Rida and LMFAO performs
There's a balloon festival outside Montreal and it sounds like it's gonna rock. The 28th International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, presented by Laurentian Bank in collaboration with Loto-Quebec, is from Aug. 13-21.
International superstars will hit the Loto-Quebec Stage like popular American singer Ke$ha, who will kick off the festivities on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 9 p.m. Opening for her is the rap group LMFAO, whose music is featured on the hit show 'Jersey Shore.' On Sunday, an icon of the Quebec music scene, Roch Voisine will join his fans for another spellbinding evening, with an opening by David Jalbert.
The very promising David Jalbert will start this evening off with his lively and involving songs. On Saturday, Aug. 20, guests can shake it to the sounds of the eagerly awaited Flo Rida, who will perform after the famous DJ Remady, a raving success throughout the globe as well as Mohombi with his famous hit “Bumpy ride”. The grand finale, on Sunday Aug. 21, will be packed with the humor of André Sauvé.

A Vermont company gets a $14 million war contract
There's news out of Essex Junction from our esteemed business reporter Bruce Edwards.
Revision, a developer of ballistic protective eyewear, has won a U.S. defense contract worth up to $14 million to supply prescription eyewear over the next five years.
"With the Prescription Lens Carrier, soldiers who require vision correction can have the advantages of ballistic protective eyewear in theatre, without compromising optical clarity or field-of-view, and without wearing cumbersome goggles or large-framed spectacles over their normal prescription eyewear," said Dan Packard, Revision senior vice president of U.S. military sales.
The lenses protect soldiers from ballistic, laser and environmental threats. The prescription lenses fit behind the company's Sawfly Spectacles or Desert Locust Goggles, the protective eyewear already issued to U.S. troops.
The Essex Junction company makes protective eyewear for militaries worldwide including the U.S. Department of Defense, the Canadian Department of National Defense, the Netherlands Defense Materiel Organization, the Swiss Federal Department of Defense and the UK Ministry of Defense.

Electric company earns more
And more from Bruce. My question is, when are electricity rates going to go down? I'll work to ask CVPS Representative Steve Costello that very question.
Central Vermont Public Service Corp. on Monday reported earnings of $9.2 million, or 67 cents per share, for the first six months of 2011, compared to $5.6 million, or 46 cents per share, for the same period in 2010.
Second-quarter earnings were $700,000, or 5 cents per share, 6 cents lower than in 2010.
The company said the improved earnings through the first six months were driven in part by increases in operating revenue and decreases in operating expenses and storm restoration costs compared to the first six months of 2010. Earnings were reduced in the second quarter by costs associated with the company's pending sale to Gaz Metro, the parent company of Green Mountain Power Corp.
"The sale and ultimate merger with Green Mountain Power will provide exceptional benefits to shareholders, customers, stakeholders and the state of Vermont," CVPS President and CEO Larry Reilly said in a statement. "In the short term, expenses associated with the sale have had, and will continue to have a negative affect on earnings; however, the sale agreement allows the company to continue to pay a quarterly dividend of 23 cents per share."
Reilly continued that beyond the merger expenses, CVPS will "continue to make steady progress as evidenced by the improved overall earnings, and the sale will ultimately provide shareholders a significant premium."


Fresh from the photo department in the Rutland Herald newsroom:
Vyto Starinskas, the chief photographer who at times looks like Beetlejuice on a disshelved day, just walked into the newsroom. He loudly said, "The sunshine people!" That's a reference to me and my editor, who arrived here at 6 a.m. today to begin work on Vermont Today.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Vyto's exclamation is exactly how we'd like you to respond to this new Web feature.
You are all "sunshine people" out there in Vermontland. I know you are up bright and early, just like me. And while I haven't always been a ray of sunshine (ask the people in the newsroom), Vermont Today is helping me to turn a new leaf. This new interactive site is meant to be the first place you go to when you wake up, eager to get the latest breaking news.

Created to compliment the daily newspaper, Vermont Today is kind of like a broadcast with two personable and approachable hosts; i.e., Darren and me. So please, feel free to talk to us by sending your comments, news tips and stuff you see outside your window that people should know about. I'm at cristina.kumka@rutlandherald.com cristina.kumka@rutlandherald.com>.


Who's got the booze?
Someone stole booze from the horse show. The state police in Shaftsbury are looking for clues on who stole $700 worth of raspberry vodka, gin, four kinds of rum, tequila and beer from the Dorset Horse Show Friday. Here are the details from the cops:

The theft occurred between 9 p.m. Aug. 4 and 5:30 a.m. Aug. 5. The missing liquor included 1.75 liter bottles of raspberry vodka, gin and four kinds of rum. Also taken were 750 ml bottles of three different kinds of tequila. In addition to hard liquor, 10 twelve packs of Corona and two twelve packs of Corona Light bottled beer were stolen.

The vendor reported seeing several teenage boys hanging around the area throughout the day and suspects they may have been involved. The investigation is currently ongoing. If anyone has any information regarding this theft, they are asked to contact Trooper Bob Zink of the Shaftsbury Barracks at 802-442-5421.


Sunderland home ransacked
Police out of Shaftsbury had a busy week. They are also looking into a home invasion at 1191 Sunderland Road in Sunderland. Jewelry was stolen. If you have any information on this case, please call Trooper Bob Zink of the Shaftsbury barracks at 802-442-5421.

Killington spends 15K on obstacle race that drew thousands
Seth Webb, the director of Killington's town economy, sounded off early this morning on the success of Saturday's Spartan Race held at Killington Resort. The town spent $15,000 to support the race but local businesses thrived this weekend, according to Webb. About 2,000 participated in the race.

I was there and there were about 4,000 spectators. Here's what Webb had to say about partnering with nationally known events and their own advertising: "One of our key strategies on special events is to partner with successful third party promoters and leverage their investments. We want to support reputable promoters because it has a better yield than if we did it ourselves. Spartan Race, the Stage Race (App Gap Productions), Killington Classic (Americade), and Killington Jr. Golf Championships (AJGA) are all great examples."


Gold sets record price per ounce today; reaction to U.S. debt crisis
There is so much economic news today, including this bulletin that just moved on the AP financial wire:
The price of gold is streaking past $1,700 an ounce for the first time. This is occurring because investors are seeking refuge from the declining financial market, according to the AP.
Investors, beset by worries about the U.S. debt downgrade, Europe's financial crisis and slowing global growth, are seeking safety in the precious metal.
Standard & Poor's on Friday cut the long-term credit rating for the U.S. by one notch to AA+ from AAA, deepening investor fears about a weakening U.S. economy. A debt crisis in Europe threatens to destabilize financial markets. Stocks are tumbling around the globe Monday.
Gold has shot up more than 3 percent, or $50 per ounce, in Monday morning trading. It has nearly doubled in price since the start of 2009. Still, adjusted for inflation, an ounce of gold remains below its 1980 peak of $850, or $2,400 in today's dollars.


This country has credit?
Canada has universal healthcare and now it's got a better credit rating than us. Not to dish Canada, I was just looking at a list of the 18 countries with better credit than the U.S. The latest from Standard & Poor's is just another blow to the American psyche. But then again, why would our country's government have a better standing with lenders when many of its people don't? America's downgrade, the first since the early 1900s, is a direct reflection of what its people are going through. And, to me, that's pretty fair.

Copy and paste this link into your search bars or Google "Michigan Taxes Too Much" to see the 18 countries with a better chance of borrowing money that the U.S., with a "negative" outlook:


S&P's Beers: No 2nd thoughts on U.S. downgrade
NEW YORK (AP) - A managing director at Standard & Poor's says he has absolutely no second thoughts about the credit ratings agency's decision to cut the U.S. debt rating.
With global stocks sinking early Monday, S&P's David Beers said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the agency's decision was based on several factors, including damage done to the U.S. reputation over the controversy surrounding the debt ceiling and concerns that underlying public finances are on an unsustainable path.
Asked if he had any second thoughts about the downgrade, Beers said "absolutely not."
S&P downgraded the U.S. rating for the first time Friday, cutting the rating to "AA+" from AAA.

New energy equals new noise in Maine; is this what Vermont can expect?
Maine's environment protection agency will ask state officials to lower recommended noise levels of windmills today. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is expected to recommend a reduction in the amount of noise produced by wind turbines that could trigger a noise violation for wind farms.
The recommendation is expected to be presented to the Maine Board of Environmental Protection.
But it's unlikely the decision will satisfy a group of activists who insist poorly-sited wind farms threaten the state's public health and natural beauty.
The board will consider two proposals. One would maintain the status quo, allowing turbines to produce up to 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night. The second would reduce the nighttime limit to 42 decibels.
The Bangor Daily News says the group Friends of Maine's Mountains believes a 35 decibel nighttime level is more appropriate.

Allman is out
Gregg Allman is not coming to the Paramount Sunday Sept. 4. According to news reports, the legendary frontman of The Allman Brothers Band has canceled more than a dozen shows, including the one in Rutland, on the advice of his doctor. He's got an upper respiratory condition.
I asked Eric Mallette who runs the Paramount alongside Bruce Bouchard, about the impact of this. He said moments ago that he's still hopeful that Allman will be ready to play in December in Rutland.
"We're hoping doctors are feeling confident he will return to the road in December. He's really eager to return to indoor venues."
For now, the date is open at the theater and since it's Labor Day weekend, anything but Allman probably won't compete with barbecues.


Clear water before dirty water
So before I sat down to the Bosox game and heard people sing "I love that dirty water, Boston you're my home," I soaked in some really clean water a little north of here at Warren Falls. Who knew there was a crystal clear, tinted turquoise blue waterfall about an hour north on Route 100?
Well, I can tell you a lot of people know about it by the crowd that gathered there late Sunday afternoon. I first heard about this magical place from Suzie Dundas, marketing princess with the Killington economic department. She showed me a pic of it on her iPhone last Monday at the town's special town meeting. So I went with my dog Lily and it was inspiring. Rocks worn smooth after years of cold, rushing water rolling over them. Kids, dogs and families wading in the cool mountain water.
Here's a link to a story and pic of this awesome place in our very own backyards, posted on the Detroit Free Press' website:

Stories in the works
Here's some of the Rutland Herald stories in the works for tomorrow according to Managing Editor Alan Keays:

- A review of the latest Opera North production, "The Marriage of Figaro."
- A profile on the president of Southern Vermont College in Bennington reflecting on accomplishments after five years in the post.
- A story about Woodstock encouraging the state's congressional delegation to support legislation to take big trucks off local roads.
- An advance of Winter in August, the chamber event celebrating the ski industry's impact on the local economy. The event will take place in Center Street Alley in Rutland on Tuesday.
- A story about the meeting of the Rutland City Police Commission, which will be taking up the matter of "nuisance foxes" in the city's Northeast neighborhood, which is the area around Killington Avenue.
- And I am writing an update story about zoning issues in Killington. Don't miss that in tomorrow's newspaper!


Not monkeying around
In terms of box office winners, the movie about really smart apes taking over the world seized the No. 1 ranking this weekend, pulling in $54 million. I can't imagine apes taking over the world, but hey, I guess anything can happen, especially if it is genetically re-engineered.
To me, that's scary. What's more my style - the thriller Final Destination 5, opening in theaters Aug. 12.
Onto the ape story:
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Apes have climbed to the top rung of the weekend box office.
According to studio estimates Sunday, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" took in $54 million to open as the No. 1 movie.
That was more than analysts expected for the "Apes" prequel, though well below the $68.5 million opening of Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes" remake 10 years ago.
The family tale "The Smurfs" remained at No. 2 for the second-straight weekend with $21 million, lifting its domestic total to $76.2 million.
The sci-fi Western "Cowboys & Aliens," which debuted at No. 1 narrowly ahead of "The Smurfs" a week earlier, fell to third with $15.8 million, raising its total to $67.4 million.
The comedy "The Change-Up" opened a weak No. 4 with $13.5 million.

Speaking of apes, here's a Boston story headlined: High on 'monkey dust'
BOSTON - High on a drug called Monkey Dust, a 31-year-old man imagined people were crawling out of his mattress and coming to kill him. Panicked and paranoid, he grabbed his assault-style rifle and ammunition, ran out of his apartment and disappeared into the streets of Bangor, scaring his ex-girlfriend so much that she called police.
When officers later found the man standing on a street corner, he led them to his weapon. Apparently scared of how he was acting and what he might do, the man, Christopher Thompson, had dismantled the gun, wrapped it in a blanket and stashed it - along with a full magazine and 18 rounds of ammunition - in an abandoned shack. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon.
Officials say that episode July 26 was no isolated incident. Across Maine, police and hospitals are reporting a surge of people becoming delusional and violent after injecting, snorting or smoking so-called bath salts, a synthetic drug that officials say is marketed under names including Monkey Dust, Monkey Mess, K2 and Vanilla Sky.
The Northern New England Poison Center received 110 calls - 87 from Maine, 17 from New Hampshire, four from Vermont and two from places unknown - between January and July from hospitals and individuals reporting instances of people in need of help after taking the drug. Last year, the center got only one call, in November.

Lawmakers passed a bill last spring making bath salts illegal in Maine. The blitz of cases in Bangor prompted the police chief to say problems have reached “epidemic'' proportions there.
“It's a daily occurrence,'' said Bangor police Sgt. Paul Edwards. “Two to five or six times a night, we'll deal somebody admitting to being on bath salts or Monkey Dust. It just seems that we've gone from nothing to this rage, this outpouring of cases of people on bath salts.''
Bath salts are unregulated psychoactive substances that provide highs similar to those from amphetamines, Ecstasy and cocaine. For the most part, they've been available on the Internet and in specialty smoke shops, officials say.
Bath salts, along with other designer synthetic drugs, have recently taken hold in the U.S. Officials say they've become popular because they're accessible and inexpensive. For the most part they've also been legal, though Maine and a number of other states have now outlawed them.
People who take the drug report feeling euphoric and energized. But those who take too much can hallucinate and experience elevated heart rates, elevated blood pressure and high body temperatures, making them feel like their bodies are racing or on fire.

In an edge-of-your-seater, Red Sox stomp Yankees 3-2
Last night the Boston Red Sox won their "rubber match" with the New York Yankees. I sat there, on my friend's couch, with a Red Sox fan to my left and a Yankees fan to my right. I, a diehard Yanks fan, wanted to cry. Especially after hearing all the "Yankees Suck" chants.

Both teams were, before last night, tied for first in the division. Although the game didn't end the way I wanted it to, it was good ball. The Sox won 3-2 in 10 innings and that means that their back in first place in the American League East, one game ahead of the Bronx Bombers.

Here's some stats from last night:
-Ten times the Yankees batted with runners in scoring position and failed to hit, according to The New York Post
-The Yankees are 2-10 this season against the Bosox. Ugh.
-It was Mariano Rivera's third blown save against the Red Sox since 2007. Not bad for one of the greatest closers of all time, if not the greatest. But last night's showing was not good. Mo had an off night.
-Bosox starter Josh Beckett gave up one run and six hits in six innings.

Here's a story out of New York where Yankees fans say the bullpen failed:
(AP) - The relief pitching that had been a strength for the New York Yankees this weekend failed them in the end. That's the way it's going this season against the Boston Red Sox.
Mariano Rivera blew a save in the ninth inning, then Josh Reddick hit a game-ending RBI single in the 10th to give the Red Sox a 3-2 victory in a game that ended early Monday morning. It seemed it was going to be just like the series opener on Friday night, when the Yankees' pen shut down Boston for a win.
But leading 2-1 in the ninth, Rivera came in and allowed Marco Scutaro's leadoff double. Scutaro advanced on Jacoby Ellsbury's sacrifice before Dustin Pedroia tied it with a sacrifice fly.


Disabled Putney woman gets help from her friend
Friends and supporters of a Vermont woman who had her handcycle stolen last week are raising funds to replace the $8,000 machine so she can resume training for next year's USA Cycling Paracycling National Championships.
Alicia Brelfod Dana of Putney is paralyzed from the waist down due to an accident in which she fell out of a tree as a teenager. She uses a handcycle -basically a bicycle propelled with the hands. But hers was stolen last week when she was forced to leave it by the side of the road due to a flat tire.
Her friends are now raising money not only to replace the machine but also to help send her to the national championships and to support her training.
Those who wish to contribute can go to this link at

Colchester woman critical after being hit by car
A 52-year-old Colchester woman is in critical condition after she was hit by a car while walking her dog in her Vermont community.
Colchester police say Deborah Drewniak was unresponsive when emergency crews arrived at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday on River Road near the intersection with Grey Birch Drive.
Police say Drewniak was hit by a car driven by 18-year-old Emma Viera, also of Colchester. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Motorcyclist dies after crash Sunday
A motorcyclist died on the New York/Vermont border yesterday. Police say the motorcyclist was traveling east on Route 68 in New York when he/she lost control at a sharp corner at the intersection of Cross Hill Road in Shaftsbury on the state line. The motorcycle and operator hit a tree and the operator was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The person's name isn't being released by police until they notify family.

Ripped from the early AM Wires
Here is a quick run down on national news for Monday, August 8:

Former Sen. Mark Hatfield, outspoken critic of war, dies at age 89
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) As a 23-year-old Navy officer in 1945, Mark Hatfield was among the first American servicemen to personally see the destruction wrought upon Hiroshima by an atomic bomb. It was an experience that helped shape Hatfield into an outspoken critic of war as he went on to become a two-term Republican Oregon governor, then the longest-serving U.S. senator in Oregon history.
Hatfield, one of the most influential politicians this state has seen died in Portland Sunday night at age 89, said his longtime friend and former aide, Gerry Frank. The Oregonian reported he passed away at a care center. The cause of death was not immediately released. Hatfield had become increasingly frail over the years.
He was elected governor of Oregon in 1958 and re-elected in 1962 before winning his first U.S. Senate campaign in 1966. He served five terms in the Senate, from 1967 to 1997.
Hatfield is best known at the national level for his pacifist ways, which often put him at odds with fellow Republicans but endeared him to many Oregonians.
At the 1965 National Governors Conference in Los Angeles, he was denounced as a traitor for casting the lone "no" vote among 50 governors on a resolution supporting President Johnson's policy in Vietnam. In the early 1970s, he joined then-Democratic Sen. George McGovern of South Dakota to sponsor an amendment seeking to end the Vietnam War. A decade later, he helped launch a campaign for a nuclear weapons freeze.


U.S. endurance athlete Diana Nyad, 61, defies age in attempt to swim across Florida Straits
HAVANA (AP) Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad stroked through the Florida Straits early Monday, trying to accomplish at 61 years old what she failed to do at 28: swim more than 100 miles from Havana to Key West.
If she makes it to the Florida Keys after an estimated 60-hour swim, Nyad would become the first person to traverse the strait without the aid of a shark cage, relying instead on technology and divers to fend off the finned predators.
Tanned and freckled from long hours training in the open seas of the Caribbean, she expressed confidence before starting off just before sunset Sunday. She said the still air and shimmering water flat as a plate were perfect conditions for her attempt to make a 103-mile (166-kilometer) swim.
"The adrenaline's flowing now," Nyad said at a jetty in western Havana as she looked at the water. "... This is what I dreamed of: a silver platter."
She gave a heartfelt cheek-kiss to the commodore of the Hemingway Marina in Havana, who helped arrange logistics of the trip, changed into a black swimsuit and blue swim cap and showed off the goggles she planned to wear: light blue during the night for better dark vision and smoky charcoal tinted to protect her eyes from the blinding daytime sun.

Selena Gomez wins 5 surfboard-shaped trophies at Teen Choice Awards
LOS ANGELES (AP) Selena Gomez conjured five wins at the Teen Choice Awards one more than boyfriend Justin Bieber.
The star of "Wizards of Waverly Place" was selected as choice TV actress, female hottie and music group with her band The Scene. Gomez and her ensemble were also awarded the choice single trophy for "Who Says" and love song for "Love You Like a Love Song," which the 19-year-old actress-singer performed at Sunday's freewheeling fan-favorite ceremony.
"This is for all of you guys," Gomez told the screeching crowd. "This isn't mine."
Bieber, Gomez's 17-year-old actor-singer boyfriend, picked up four surfboard-shaped trophies as choice male music artist, male hottie, twit and TV villain for his "CSI" guest starring role. Other multiple winners included "The Vampire Diaries," "Glee," "The Twilight Saga," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," Robert Pattinson and Taylor Swift.
"I feel like it's been a long time since I was a teenager, like, two years," Swift joked.

VA doctors, rusty on treating women, gather to study care of female veterans
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) The "show and tell" table at this gathering of doctors featured contraceptive sponges and female condoms. Life-size rubber pelvises and female breasts covered several other tables at the back of a windowless convention center ballroom. The lectures focused on topics like how to help a rape victim feel comfortable in an exam room.
Not unusual for a doctors' meeting, but these were doctors and nurse practitioners with the Veterans Affairs Department, a cohort of medical professionals who in the past might have gone years without seeing a female patient. But avoiding topics like gynecology and breast exams is no longer possible because of an influx of thousands of female veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan into the VA's system of hospitals and clinics.
Used to treating the men who served in Vietnam or World War II, many of the VA's practitioners are rusty on skills like performing pelvic exams on women and talking about birth control. Some are downright nervous over treating women.
The result has been very limited availability at some VA clinics for gender-specific health appointments for women. Female veterans often had to drive hours to get to another facility, or the VA had to pick up the tab for them to go to a nearby private doctor if they opted to go at all.
The VA is working toward having a trained, designated women's provider in every facility. So far, officials have achieved the goal in its approximately 150 medical centers and in at least 60 to 65 percent of its 900 community-based clinics, according to the VA.


Duncan: States can't wait for Congress to fix No Child Left Behind law; waiver system planned
State and local education officials have been begging the federal government for relief from student testing mandates in the federal No Child Left Behind law, but school starts soon and Congress still hasn't answered the call.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan says he will announce a new waiver system Monday to give schools a break.
The plan to offer waivers to all 50 states, as long as they meet other school reform requirements, comes at the request of President Barack Obama, Duncan said. More details on the waivers will come in September, he said.
The goal of the No Child Left Behind law is to have every student proficient in math and reading by 2014. States have been required to bring more students up to the math and reading standards each year, based on tests that usually take place each spring. The step-by-step ramping up of the 9-year-old law has caused heartburn in states and most school districts, because more and more schools are labeled as failures as too few of their students meet testing goals.
Critics say the benchmarks are unrealistic and brands schools as failures even if they make progress. Schools and districts where too few kids pass the tests for several years are subject to sanctions that can include firing teachers or closing the school entirely.


Police, neighbors struggling to put together pieces after 8 killed in Ohio shooting rampage
COPLEY, Ohio (AP) Investigators combed through three homes and outside another in a quiet neighborhood of this small Ohio town Sunday, collecting evidence to reconstruct a shooting rampage that killed seven people and wounded another before the gunman died in a gunfight with police.
The tragedy ripped the summer quiet on Goodenough Avenue just before 11 a.m. when police say the gunman shot his girlfriend in one home, then ran to a next-door neighbor's house, where he shot her brother and gunned down four neighbors. He then chased four people [--] two through neighboring backyards shooting one of them before bursting into a home on nearby Schocalog Road, where two others had sought refuge.
Police said he shot his eighth victim in that home and left, only to get into a gunfight outside with a police officer and a citizen who had been a police officer. The gunman, whose name was not released, was killed.
Only one of those shot survived. Police said that victim was taken to an area hospital but did not disclose a condition or identity. None of the victims was identified and their ages were not disclosed.
Neighbors said the dead included an 11-year-old boy; a school official said he had been told two of the victims were students at the local high school. Neighbors say at least three victims were from one family.


UK police arrest over 160 after gangs loot shops, attack police in riots across London
LONDON (AP) Police arrested 160 people after a weekend of riots and looting, as scattered copycat violence spread from a disadvantaged north London neighborhood to other parts of the city, authorities said Monday.
Groups of young people looted shops, attacked police officers and set fire to vehicles in violence that has raised questions about security ahead of the showcase 2012 Olympics and revealed pent-up anger against the city's police.
Around 35 police officers were injured, including three who were hit by a car while trying to make arrests in east London.
Officers are "shocked at the outrageous level of violence directed against them," police commander Christine Jones said.
The violence erupted in the north London suburb of Tottenham on Saturday night amid community anger over a fatal police shooting of a 29-year-old father of four. Police said "copycat criminal" violence spread to other parts of London on Sunday night and early Monday, including the main shopping and tourist district at Oxford Circus.


Good Monday, Vermont!
It was a sunny summer weekend (with the exception of that thunderous downpour here in Rutland last night) and I hope you all enjoyed it. There was humidity for sure.

But there was also an extreme obstacle race at Killington followed by a so-called "Death Race" training camp, a chicken wing competition at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow and the historic Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl football game in Windsor where Vermont was trumped by New Hampshire, 45-21.

Coming off an eventful few days off, there's more breaking news this Monday. First, the weather:

80 degrees and rain today
Today's weather forecast for Rutland calls for temperatures near 80 degrees with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms and rain, because of course, the high humidity lingering in the air. The same goes for Montpelier, with a mid-day high of 77 degrees and thunderstorms predicted.


New Hampshire couple thrown overboard in Vermont lake
Ronald and Jana St. Germain of Dover were pulled from Maidstone Lake Saturday after being thrown from their 16-foot motorboat after it hit a large wave. The weather was clear but the water wasn't, according to police, when the couple's boat was hit by a wave as they returned to shore. The couple were tossed into the water and the boat powered forward, continuing to circle in the lake. Eventually, the boat stopped after hitting the dock and other boats on shore. There was extensive damage caused to the boats and docks, but no one was injured, according to police.


Dean blasts the Tea Party
As I was driving home last night after a dip in Warren Falls, I heard this sound-off on Vermont Public Radio from Howard Dean. Republicans and Democrats are now questioning why President Barack Obama isn't solving some of the nation's ongoing problems - namely mounting debt and jobless America. Click on this link to hear what Dean had to say:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/08/07/howard_dean_tea_party_is_smoking_some_of_that_tea_not_just_drinking_it.html


Vermont honors 11-year-old NH girl
CANAAN, Vt. (AP) - A celebration of the life of an 11-year-old northern New Hampshire girl is planned at a Vermont school.
Celina Cass had been missing from her Stewartstown home for a week before divers found her body near a dam that spans the Connecticut River between Stewartstown and Canaan, Vt. Her death has been called suspicious. An autopsy failed to pin down the cause of her death and toxicology tests are pending.
An event honoring Celina's life is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Canaan School gymnasium.
Celina played basketball for Canaan School.


Stowe gets ready for antique car show
STOWE, Vt. (AP) Antique car enthusiasts from around the northeastern United States and eastern Canada are getting ready for an annual summer event in the Vermont resort town of Stowe.
The Stowe Antique and Classic Car Meet is set for this Friday through Sunday at Nichols Field on Route 100 in Stowe.
Show cars start with those of the Brass Era before 1915 through the Classics of the 20's and 30's. There'll also be many post-war vehicles from the 50's through muscle cars of the 60's and 70's.
In one new twist, this year's event is seeking the oldest running car in Vermont. The owner will receive $500 and a three-night stay at the Mountain Side Resort for the 2012 Car Meet.