Vermonters never tire of maple syrup. And with such a warm winter, many sugarmakers in Vermont are following their instincts and beginning to produce their product ahead of schedule.

Maple syrup production last year was up 22 percent nationwide. And Vermont led the country producing 920,000 gallons of syrup. That's a 30 percent jump from the previous year.

Technology has changed the way Vermonters make maple syrup, especially in the last 50 years. We look back to the historic roots of sugaring and remember a few old traditions. Also, one Vermont coach gets ready for the Paralympics, which begin this weekend in Vancouver.

The sap is flowing in northern New England and officials say a spike in prices has encouraged more people to set up backyard maple syrup operations.

A White House report on climate change says two of Vermont's iconic industries are in trouble: winter sports and maple sugaring. As winters get warmer, the New England forest will change. And if greenhouse gas emissions stay high, the study warns that the prime area for maple production will shift north into Canada.

2009 has proven to be a record-setting year for maple syrup production in Vermont.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is taking its campaign against Canadian seal harvesting to America, urging consumers to boycott Canadian-made maple syrup.

Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.: A repeat drunk driver who killed a teenager in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 89 last year is going to prison; one year ago, a ferocious wind storm blew through Rutland, felling about 2,000 trees with winds of more than 60 miles per hour; Vermont's maple sugarmakers say they're having a good year;  Lyndon State College officials are planning a new student center and academic building...

A meeting of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has just concluded in Rutland; the Vermont Supreme Court has saved some of its more contentious cases for a series of hearings today at Vermont Law School; more...