Vermont Community College Extends In-State Tuition to Granite Staters

Montpelier — The Community College of Vermont announced on Thursday that New Hampshire residents living along the border will be eligible for in-state tuition this fall.

People living in Sullivan, Grafton, Cheshire and Coos counties will qualify to attend any of CCV’s 12 academic centers for $253 per credit, making the cost of most classes $759.

“By offering students in neighboring states the same tuition rates that Vermonters pay, more people will be able to benefit from our diverse courses, open admissions and the opportunities that come with a CCV degree,” CCV President Joyce Judy said in a news release.

The reduced rate is made possible through the New England Board of Education’s Higher Education Tuition Break program. Residents living in border communities in New York and Massachusetts also will apply for the rate.

Vt. Automatic Voter Registration Made Law

Montpelier — While voting rights advocates lament new ballot access restrictions in several states, Vermont on Thursday became the fourth state to expand access when Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law a bill that automatically registers eligible residents to vote when they apply for a driver’s license.

The Vermont law streamlines voter registration at the Department of Motor Vehicles with a system that identifies eligible Vermont residents and automatically sends their information to the town or city clerk for addition to the checklist, unless they opt out.

Vermont’s law will go into effect July 1, 2017.

No Charges Against State Trooper In Skateboarder’s Death

Lisbon, n.h. — A New Hampshire county prosecutor says a state trooper will not face criminal charges for the death of a skateboarder in a crash last summer.

A Sullivan County prosecutor’s investigation released Tuesday says there were no other witnesses to the July crash that killed 18-year-old Emily Clogston in Lisbon. Clogston died four days after the crash.

The report says Troop F Commander Todd Landry, who was off duty, was heading home with his family. The family told police they saw Clogston as she hit the front of their pickup truck.

The investigation found Landry hadn’t been drinking or distracted by a phone call. He retired in August.

Clogston’s half brother says the family is unlikely to pursue further investigative action or file a civil suit.

N.H. Senate Postpones Action On Needle Exchange Bill

Concord — The state Senate is delaying action on a bill that would remove criminal penalties for possessing syringes with trace amounts of illegal drugs.

Senators were scheduled to vote on an amendment Thursday that would’ve turned the bill into a study committee, effectively killing any changes for the year. But debate has been pushed to next week, giving senators time to potentially draft fresh amendments.

The legislation aims to pave the way for needle exchange programs by also allowing hypodermic syringes to be sold or dispensed in places other than pharmacies.

— Staff and wire reports