Thursday, August 21 Jennifer Huberdeau NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Lowe's home-improvement chain has been selected "Energy Star Partner of the Year" numerous times, but plans for a proposed store on Curran Highway aren't "green" enough for Massachusetts. Secretary of Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles said that an environmental impact report filed on behalf of Lowe's didn't pass the   Full Story

Thursday, August 21 Whenever states find tax revenues dropping during an economic downtown, governors and lawmakers seem typically to reach for their pens to cross something out of the budget. Often, that is like cutting off a nose in spite. Since almost everything in the budget of a state the size of Vermont involves essential public services, cuts in education or health care funding,   Full Story

Thursday, August 21 POWNAL — Frank Giorandino's yellow 1965 Chrysler New Yorker has many parts: the muffler, the tires, an alternator, and perhaps a small role in "Taking Woodstock," a feature movie being shot in nearby North Hillsdale, N.Y. According to the Internet Movie Database, "Taking Woodstock" is a film being directed by Ang Lee based on the book of the same name by Elliot   Full Story

Thursday, August 21 SHAFTSBURY — Residents spoke their minds at a Water Board meeting Tuesday night on the potential for $400,000 in mandated improvements to the town's water system — and on who should pay for the work. Town has approval Town officials recently announced that Shaftsbury had been approved to receive a loan from the state to conduct state-mandated improvements to   Full Story

Thursday, August 21 BEIJING — Arms churning high, face twisted in pain as he sprinted toward the finish line, Usain Bolt kept glancing at the clock. The win in the Olympic200 meterswasa given, his second gold medal of the Beijing Games assured. This was now about a world record. About racing against history.   Full Story

Wednesday, August 20 MANCHESTER — The Southern Vermont Arts Center's August Exhibitions, opening in Yester House Gallery on Aug. 23, with a free wine and cheese reception held from 2 to 4 p.m., features eight fine artists, Vermont painter Mark Tougias among them. Tougias did his first oil painting at age 8, entered his first show at age 14 and had his first solo show at age 16.   Full Story