Tuesday, May 26, 2015

WVTK Local & State News May 26, 2015

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is launching his Presidential Campaign today in Burlington. In 1981 Sanders started his political career in Burlington being elected Mayor. During the celebration at the Burlington Waterfront, Sanders laid-out an "Agenda for America" to address the major crises we face and a vision of government that "works for all our people." Sanders started by vowing to start a “political revolution” to address core economic issues, massive student debt and the role of big money in politics. Sanders will travel to New Hampshire tomorrow and then head to Iowa on Thursday.

The 58th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research is underway at the University of Vermont. Hundreds of scientists from around the world are attending presentations on various topics. Organizers are trying to expand the event beyond the Great Lakes of North America to include large bodies of lakes worldwide.

Power has been restored to more than 3,000 customers in the city of Rutland. A Green Mountain Power representative said the power was knocked out before 2 o’clock this afternoon. Crews said there was an issue with a substation. Power was restored by about 3 p.m.

A new inpatient building is being added to the UVM Medical Center. The 187-million-dollar project hopes to start construction this summer. The facility will offer 128 single-bed rooms on four floors. Spokesman Dawn LeBaron said the new addition will not raise rates for patients.

A new study is out revealing the best places for veterans to retire. WalletHub's 2015 ranking shows Vermont is ranked 29th among the 50 states. The survey considered cost-of-living, amount of affordable housing, access to healthcare and other factors. Vermont is in second place for job opportunities, and third for most veteran-owned businesses.