Vermont news

• Bob Orleck: Turkey no friend of US

  28-10-2018 22:52 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Bob Orleck, who is a retired pharmacist and lawyer. He served as an assistant attorney general under Vermont Attorney General Jerome Diamond.
  Our political leaders had better be careful who we are listening to on the disappearance of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi who, on Oct. 2, entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain a marriage license and has not been heard from since. With no evidence, other than that provided by Turkey, certai
  
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• Airport makes progress on sound mitigation

  07-09-2024 00:16 via vtdigger.org
  
  A private jet taxis away from the Heritage Aviation terminal at the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington on Tuesday, August 31, 2021. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThis story by Liberty Darr was first published in the Other Paper on Sept. 5.A home improvement and insulation program aimed at reducing interior noise levels for homeowners living near the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport is beginning to make some headway.The residential sound insulation program, which
  
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• Central Vermont Medical Center support staff votes to unionize

  06-09-2024 23:46 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Central Vermont Medical Center’s emergency department on July 12, 2023. File photo by Natalie Williams/VTDiggerSupport staff at Central Vermont Medical Center have voted to form a union, the American Federation of Teachers-Vermont announced on Thursday. “As support staff, we are the foundation of CVMC, and we know that when we have a voice at work, we will be able to show up better for our patients and their families,” licensed nursing assistant and union organizing co
  
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• Is Vermont’s motel program a ‘magnet’ for out-of-staters experiencing homelessness?

  06-09-2024 23:13 via vtdigger.org
  
  
  Graphic by Laura Nakasaka/Vermont Public Over the past few months, VTDigger and Vermont Public reporter Carly Berlin has been looking into a persistent narrative about unhoused people living in Vermont. We’re excited to be able to share the results of that investigation in this podcast, produced by the Brave Little State team at Vermont Public.For as long as Carly Berlin has been reporting on housing issues for Vermont Public and VTDigger, she’s been hearing some version of this ques
  
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• First residents to move into White River Junction apartments for chronically homeless this month

  06-09-2024 22:55 via vtdigger.org
  
  Twin Pines Housing Trustee John Dunham, of West Lebanon, left, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church member Ann Churchill, of Hanover, right, take in one of the 18 one-bedroom units in a new apartment building for the chronically homeless in White River Junction on Wednesday, Sept. 4. Photo by James M. Patterson/Valley NewsThis story by Emma Roth-Wells was first published in the Valley News on Sept. 5. WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Six people are expected to move into a new home for the chro
  
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• Consultants update ‘clean heat standard’ cost-benefit figures in final version of study

  06-09-2024 22:08 via vtdigger.org
  
  Hunter Leveille, of Enfield, New Hampshire, brings the propane line back to his truck after filling a homeowner’s tanks on the Quechee-West Hartford Road in Hartford, in February 2021. Photo by Geoff Hansen/Valley NewsThe final version of a study of the proposed clean heat standard, a policy that would reduce climate-change-causing emissions that come from heating buildings in Vermont, shows an updated overall cost estimate that is roughly half what was previously presented. State off
  
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• Ethan Parke: Vermont’s unaffordable health care

  06-09-2024 14:03 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Ethan Parke of Montpelier, a board member of Vermont Health Care for All.Don’t tell me that Vermont is addressing the affordability of health care. It’s not. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s table of average marketplace premiums by metal tier, Vermont is by far the most expensive state in which to buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act. In 2024, Vermonters pay an average of $948 a month for the lowest-cost silver plan, compared
  
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• Dr. Sunny Eappen: Sustainable nonprofit hospitals are vital to controlling health care costs

  06-09-2024 12:56 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Dr. Sunny Eappen, president and CEO of the University of Vermont Health Network.Health care is expensive, whether you’re receiving it or providing it. While most of us already know this hard truth, it’s at the center of attention as Vermont’s 2025 hospital budgets are being reviewed by our regulator, the Green Mountain Care Board. For us at University of Vermont Health Network, this isn’t a problem we think about once a year when we submit
  
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• It’s apple-picking season, and Vermont’s apple growers expect a great year

  06-09-2024 12:37 via vtdigger.org
  
  A MacIntosh apple ripens at Burtt’s Apple Orchard in Cabot on Aug. 25, 2020. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont’s apple growers are expecting a bountiful harvest this year, following a season affected by a late-spring frost in some parts of the state last year.“Reports of an excellent apple season are true overall,” said Terence Bradshaw, a University of Vermont professor and fruit specialist. “Most are reporting above average yields.”One night in May
  
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• Hinesburg’s largest development gets Act 250 approval

  06-09-2024 02:11 via vtdigger.org
  
  A map outlining the boundaries of Hinesburg’s largest development to date — Haystack Crossing. Image courtesy of the Vermont Agency of Natural ResourcesIn the works for a decade, Hinesburg’s largest development project received its Act 250 permit last week.Alex Weinhagen, the town’s director of planning and zoning, said he is excited about the long-awaited approval for Haystack Crossing – a 76-acre mixed-use development off Route 116. “It means a lot because t
  
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• New student enrollment at Vermont State University ticks up, a hopeful sign after a tumultuous first year

  06-09-2024 01:05 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Johnson campus of Vermont State University in Johnson on Wednesday, June 26. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMore than 1,700 first-year students are expected to enroll at Vermont State University, an increase of about 14% compared with fall 2023 and a sign of hope for the public, multicampus university.The roughly 200-student enrollment bump in the university’s second-ever fall semester — just over a year after it was formally created — represents welcome news as it works to
  
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• Employees at large federal contractor in Essex fear layoffs

  05-09-2024 23:58 via vtdigger.org
  
  The U.S. Customs and Immigration Services Vermont Service Center in Essex on Friday, June 28. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerDozens of Vermont workers at the Vermont Service Center, a federal immigration office in Essex, say that they have been facing uncertainty about the future of their jobs for months.U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in a letter to a top federal immigration official dated Aug. 21 that was obtained by VTDigger, expressed “deep concern” over the anticipated layoffs
  
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• This election season, 7 first-time House candidates face no opposition 

  05-09-2024 21:49 via vtdigger.org
  
  The House of Representatives chamber at the Statehouse in Montpelier on March 30, 2023. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThis January, a handful of new legislators are expected to enter the Vermont House of Representatives without facing any challengers in either their primary or general elections. They’re poised to join roughly 50 incumbents who are up for reelection, also with no competitors on the November ballot. In a state where political operatives have lamented the chal
  
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• Across Vermont, FEMA teams are knocking on doors in flood-impacted communities 

  05-09-2024 20:59 via vtdigger.org
  
  FEMA disaster survivor assistance team specialists approach a home while doing outreach in Peacham on Tuesday, Sept. 3.Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerPEACHAM — On Tuesday, at the door of a red brick home in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom, a man in a blue vest and a wide-brimmed hat gave a hearty knock. “Good morning, FEMA!” he called, loud enough that his voice echoed off the houses across the quiet street. The storm that tore through central and northern Vermont
  
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• Matt Wormser: Implementing a cap and trade solution for lake cleanup

  05-09-2024 12:09 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Matt Wormser, vice chair of the Shelburne Selectboard.Summer is nearing its end up here in the Green Mountain State, and it’s time to enjoy our waning days of warmth as harvest season kicks into full swing. It’s also a time to reflect on some of this summer’s challenges, which included stormwater-related flooding and resulting pollution-driven beach closures here on Lake Champlain — problems reflective of broad lake health issues we’ve struggle
  
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• Most tasks in Vermont hazard mitigation plan left incomplete, auditor says

  05-09-2024 01:01 via vtdigger.org
  
  Workers rebuild Red Village Road in Lyndonville on August 5, 2024. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerIn 2018, the state of Vermont released a plan outlining how it should prepare for natural disasters.The State Hazard Mitigation Plan lays out 24 strategies, separated into 96 discrete actions, to address risk factors for natural disasters. Those actions included improving flood resilience, strengthening building design standards and educating local communities about potential hazards, among oth
  
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• Burlington police report string of violent crimes involving large groups

  04-09-2024 23:46 via vtdigger.org
  
  Burlington Police Department cruisers parked outside the department in Burlington on August 26, 2024. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerBurlington police are calling attention to a rash of reported violent crimes in recent weeks involving large groups of people, including some juveniles.Police initially put out a press release late on the afternoon of Aug. 23 reporting multiple crimes, beginning the document by stating, “Public Safety is a shared responsibility.” The department the
  
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• Vermont Conversation: Corinne Prevot of Skida and Sam Hooper of Vermont Glove on making it in Vermont

  04-09-2024 22:35 via vtdigger.org
  
  
  Corinne Prevot, left, and Sam Hooper. Photos courtesy of Corinne Prevot and Sam HooperThe Vermont Conversation with David Goodman is a VTDigger podcast that features in-depth interviews on local and national issues with politicians, activists, artists, changemakers and citizens who are making a difference. Listen below, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify to hear more.When Corinne Prevot was attending high school and ski racing at Burke Mount
  
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• iSun, parent company of SunCommon, to rebrand after bankruptcy filing

  04-09-2024 18:59 via vtdigger.org
  
  Electricians install the last solar panels at the home of SunCommon’s 1,000th customer in Barre Town on Tuesday. Photo by John Herrick/VTDiggerMonths after declaring bankruptcy, iSun — one of the state’s largest solar energy installers — has been acquired by a Texas-based private equity firm and is set to rebrand with a new name under new leadership.Jeff Wolfe is the CEO of newly-created Original Clean Energy, which includes the embattled solar installer iSun. Photo court
  
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• Back to school: Four Vermonters talk about finding opportunities in education

  04-09-2024 18:35 via vtdigger.org
  
  During this back-to-school season, we went back to some recent Student Spotlight articles for inspiration about the value of education. For these exceptional Vermont students, education means…Investing in yourself… for lifeHannah Heinchon of Lowell is a dedicated single mom. Among many other jobs, she leads a support program for young people experiencing homelessness. While her life has focused heavily on helping others, education has been the investment she’s made in herself
  
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• Many police calls require social services. What if providers have no-trespass orders on those in need?

  04-09-2024 18:26 via vtdigger.org
  
  Brattleboro police have taped off a section of downtown’s Preston parking lot, where they’ve responded to multiple reports of disorderly conduct. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDiggerBRATTLEBORO — When local police studied the nearly 29,000 calls they’ve received in the past three years, they discovered the 20 people most cited for problems accounted for 1,700 — or 6% — of all complaints.That was only the first surprise.Most calls about the top 20 didn’
  
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• Dartmouth petition seeks to keep for-profit chains out of child care

  04-09-2024 16:15 via vtdigger.org
  
  Parents drop their children off at Dartmouth College Child Care Center in Hanover, N.H. Photo by Alex Driehaus/Valley NewsThis story by Christina Dolan was first published by the Valley News on Sept. 3.HANOVER — More than 300 members of the Dartmouth community signed a petition submitted to President Sian Leah Beilock last week, urging her administration to keep the college’s child care center out of the hands of for-profit chains.The appeal comes in response to the work of a campus
  
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• Morgan Brown: Building a community of hope

  04-09-2024 13:13 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Morgan Brown of Montpelier. He recently retired from engaging in volunteer citizen advocacy and activism, and is now a blogger and writer. He previously lived unhoused over the course of many years of his adult life.During the Montpelier City Council meeting  held on the evening of Aug. 28, the potential sale and development of the 12-16 Main Street property came up for discussion..This had previously been the site of the former Guertin Parklet structure, which the cit
  
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• EEE has come to Vermont. Here’s what you need to know about this mosquito-based virus.

  04-09-2024 00:37 via vtdigger.org
  
  Culiseta melanura mosquito. Photo via the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionA blood-sucking creature that comes at dusk is frightening Vermonters this summer. No, it’s not a vampire. It’s Culiseta melanura — one mosquito species responsible for spreading the eastern equine encephalitis virus, a rare and sometimes fatal disease. A man in New Hampshire died of the disease in August, and a person in Chittenden County has recently tested positive for the viru
  
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• University of Vermont announces plans for startup incubator space in Colchester

  04-09-2024 00:09 via vtdigger.org
  
  Research Technician Sandra May checks new samples into the UVM Laboratory for Clinical Biochemistry Research in Colchester. Photo by David Seaver. Photo courtesy of UVMBurlington Bio is a startup that uses biotechnology to turn agricultural byproducts into food ingredients – such as material for lab grown meat or protein powder.When Rachael Floreani, a faculty member at the University of Vermont for 13 years, started the company last year, she had to buy her own equipment and find a space
  
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• Shelburne to vote on new wastewater facility

  03-09-2024 22:42 via vtdigger.org
  
  This story by Liberty Darr was first published in the Shelburne News on August 29.Shelburne will vote on a roughly $38 million bond for a new consolidated wastewater treatment plant in November.Dubbed the largest infrastructure project in Shelburne’s history, the project has been years in the making and is set to cost more than $45 million, which includes a 10 percent construction contingency for inflation.The project assumes more than 30 percent funding in grants.Town manager Matt Lawless
  
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• William David Emberley

  03-09-2024 22:17 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born July 6, 1942Morristown, New JerseyDied August 22, 2024Essex, VermontDetails of servicesA memorial service will be held at a later date.William David Emberley, 82, of Essex, Vermont died on August 22, 2024 at the Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME due to complications from pancreatic cancer detected mere weeks before his death. William (Bill) was born July 6, 1942 and grew up in Morristown, NJ.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at the University of
  
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• Alton W. (Tony) Smith

  03-09-2024 21:58 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born June 27, 1939McAdam, New Brunswick, CanadaDied August 30, 2024Morrisville, VermontDetails of servicesAn event to celebrate and remember Tony Smith’s life will be held soon. Burial will be in Rockland Cemetery in McAdam, New Brunswick, later this fall. If you would like to be notified when these events are scheduled, please call or text George Putnam at 802-309-7598 or email him at [email protected] William Smith, 85, died peacefully on Friday, August 30, 2024, at The
  
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• A 2-year investigation of a Springfield murder reveals the backstory of a violent period

  03-09-2024 19:48 via vtdigger.org
  
  Valley Street in Springfield on Thursday, June 9, 2022. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerNew details of a 2022 murder in Springfield illustrate an extensive police investigation that tied together the alleged major players in a particularly violent period for the town. Vermont State Police last week announced the arrest of Paul Lachapelle Jr., who is charged with the murder of Justin Gilliam in Springfield more than two years ago. Documents in that case reveal how police worked a web of
  
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• Cannabis grower considers former roadside diner in Sharon for store

  02-09-2024 14:52 via vtdigger.org
  
  Sean Trombly looks over his plants when cutting clones at his cannabis farm in Chelsea. Photo by Jennifer Huack/Valley News This story by John Lippman was first published in the Valley News on August 27.SHARON — A Chelsea cannabis grower wants to bring pot, pizza and creamies to Sharon by taking over a once-popular roadside diner along Route 14 near recreational spots on the White River.Sean Trombly, operator of Trombly House of Cannabis in Chelsea, has submitted a petition to the Sharon S
  
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