Vermont news

• Christine Hallquist and Tee Thomas: Broadband’s role in solving climate change

  27-08-2024 13:11 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Christine Hallquist — executive director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board, Democratic nominee for Vermont governor in 2018 and former CEO of Vermont Electric Cooperative — and Tee Thomas — CEO of Quantified Ventures and former water finance director for the state of Vermont.Vermonters are suffering from damage caused by catastrophic flooding for the second summer in a row. There is no denying that climate change is a problem that needs to be addres
  
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• Sen. Peter Welch visits the 1st adaptive mountain bike trail network in Vermont

  14-09-2024 01:10 via vtdigger.org
  
  U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, speaks with Greg Durso in his adaptive mountain bike during a tour of Richmond Mountain Trails’ The Driving Range, the state’s first accessible adaptive-ready trail system, in Bolton on Friday, Sept. 13. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerMountain biking in Vermont should be more accessible to riders this fall, thanks to the first fully adaptive mountain bike trail network at the Richmond Mountain Trails in Bolton.U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., met with l
  
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• Organization launches guide for BIPOC Vermonters to explore, connect and overcome barriers

  14-09-2024 00:40 via vtdigger.org
  
  The VT PoCket Guide website on Friday, Sept. 13. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerLooking to try a farm-to-table restaurant, find a nature activity or volunteer at a soup kitchen in your community? Such information is often inaccessible to communities of color. The VT PoCket Guide aims to help their members find and navigate options.Released this summer by the Vermont Professionals of Color Network, the web-based digital guide aims to support and empower Vermont’s marginalized communities by
  
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• ‘Person of interest’ in double homicide case faces new drug, firearm charges

  13-09-2024 23:46 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Federal Building in Burlington houses the U.S. District Courthouse and the U.S. Postal Service. File photo by Bob LoCicero/VTDiggerA former Stowe man termed by prosecutors as a “person of interest” in the killing of two Massachusetts men last October has been indicted on new federal charges, including one alleging he discharged a firearm in a drug crime. A federal grand jury in Vermont returned the indictment against Theodore Bland, 29, on Thursday, charging him with a serie
  
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• Twinfield teacher charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly drawing on student’s throat

  13-09-2024 22:48 via vtdigger.org
  
  A teacher at Twinfield Union School is facing a charge of aggravated disorderly conduct for allegedly using a permanent marker to draw around a student’s throat, according to Vermont State Police.Kathleen Wheelock, 48, of Montpelier, allegedly drew on the student after that student used a permanent marker on a whiteboard, police said. The incident occurred Sept. 5, according to a state police press release, although authorities began investigating on Sept. 10. “The student was n
  
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• A neighborhood dispute over a Williston dog rescue is headed to the Vermont Supreme Court

  13-09-2024 22:27 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dawna Pederzani and her rescue dog Layla in front of her home in Williston on Thursday, September 5, 2024. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerShortly after the latest in a string of zoning complaints was filed against her, Dawn Pederzani staked three signs into her Williston home’s front lawn.Two of the signs feature skeleton hands, flipping off the neighborhood. “You make me wish I had more middle fingers,” one sign reads. The third is adorned with a rainbow, and reads, “Hum
  
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• South Burlington explores all-resident voter expansion

  13-09-2024 21:51 via vtdigger.org
  
  Election workers check in voters in South Burlington on Town Meeting Day on March 1, 2022. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThis story by Liberty Darr was first published by The Other Paper on Sept. 12.The South Burlington City Council last week directed its charter committee to explore the idea of allowing all legal residents of the city to vote in local elections.The South Burlington Democratic Committee asked that the council place a question about voter expansion on th
  
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• Jayna Ahsaf: Investing in community and upstream solutions, not prisons

  13-09-2024 12:56 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Jayna Ahsaf of Colchester. She is FreeHer Vermont campaign director for the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, a steering committee member for the Vermont Freedom Fund and on the board for the Will Miller Social Justice Lecture Series.We stand at a pivotal moment where the investments we make now could decide the fate of many vulnerable Vermonters. Despite the challenges our state faces, lawmakers are proposing to spend $70 million
  
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• Barre clinic offers free gender affirming care to members of LGBTQ+ community

  13-09-2024 00:52 via vtdigger.org
  
  Sharon Segel, a nurse volunteer at the People’s Health and Wellness Clinic in Barre, stands in front of a newly painted rainbow wall in the waiting room that celebrates the launch of free gender-affirming health care to all residents aged 18 and above in Central Vermont. Photo courtesy of Daniel BarlowThe People’s Health & Wellness Clinic in Barre has launched free gender-affirming care services to make health care more accessible to clients, regardless of income or insurance, ac
  
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• Green Mountain Transit riders and drivers pan proposed service cuts

  13-09-2024 00:23 via vtdigger.org
  
  Clayton Clark, general manager of Green Mountain Transit, outlines proposed reductions in local bus service at a public hearing in Burlington on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Photo by Shaun Robinson/VTDiggerBURLINGTON — Carly Sehr said she bought her condo in South Burlington because it sits right on Green Mountain Transit’s No. 11 bus line. She doesn’t own a car and uses the service to commute to and from her job at a grocery store in Burlington.So Sehr was dismayed to learn that the b
  
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• VTDigger Fall Member Drive aims to raise $75K for independent news

  13-09-2024 00:00 via vtdigger.org
  
  VTDigger’s Shaun Robinson at an event with historian Jill Lepore at the Manchester Community Library on Thursday, September 5, 2024. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerSmall and large donations from many members are the backbone of VTDigger’s news operation. Broad support from our readers provides the editorial and financial independence we need to continue delivering the honest truth when you need it most.We have just over one week left in our Fall Member Drive. Vermont has lost 75% of
  
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• Former Department for Children and Families social worker charged with sexually assaulting youth

  12-09-2024 23:51 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Chittenden County Superior criminal court in Burlington on July 25, 2023. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerA former state Department for Children and Families employee has been charged with sexually assaulting a youth she was working with when she was employed by the department several years ago.Sonja Herman, 31, of Swanton, pleaded not guilty Thursday in Chittenden County Superior criminal court in Burlington to the felony sexual assault charge. She was released by Judge David Fenster on
  
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• Animals arrive for annual Tunbridge World’s Fair

  12-09-2024 22:52 via vtdigger.org
  
  Nicole Sasson, left, a second year veterinary technician student at Vermont State University-Randolph, scans an ear tag on Iris while Jon Palmer, of East Montpelier, Vt., holds her still at the fairgrounds in Tunbridge on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Students helped to check in and inspect many of the over 500 animals that will be featured during the fair. Photo courtesy of Alex Driehaus/Valley NewsThis story by Emma Roth-Wells was first published by Valley News on Sept. 11.TUNBRIDGE — A
  
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• Samuel Charles Record

  12-09-2024 22:51 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born December 19, 1937Brattleboro, VermontDied September 1, 2024Brattleboro, VermontDetails of servicesSam’s wishes were for no service. A small gathering will take place on Sunday October 13, 2024 12:00pm at his daughter’s home 315 VT Route 30 in Newfane, VT.Samuel Charles Record, 86 of Randolph, Vermont died peacefully on September 1, 2024 at Pine Heights Nursing Home in Brattleboro, Vermont. Sam was born on December 19, 1937 on the farm on Orchard St. Ext. in Brattleboro
  
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• John N. Moore

  12-09-2024 22:30 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born June 26, 1954Minneola, New YorkDied September 4, 2024Colchester, VermontDetails of servicesVisiting hours will be held from 5:00PM to 7:00PM on Wednesday, September 11, at LaVigne Funeral & Cremation Service, 132 Main St., Winooski. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Winooski on Thursday, September 12, at 11:00 AM, with interment to follow at Resurrection Park Cemetery in South Burlington.It is with great sadness that the f
  
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• Joe Biden approves major disaster declaration for late June storms in Lamoille County

  12-09-2024 19:06 via vtdigger.org
  
  Moss Glen Falls road in Stowe. Photo courtesy of Kestrel Owen/Stowe Public Works Department.President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for Lamoille County in response to severe storms that hit parts of the state in late June.The president’s major disaster declaration, issued on Thursday, opens up additional federal resources to help state and municipal governments recover from storm damage, including federal dollars to repair public infrastructure and assistance from the
  
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• Board considers what to do with Roxbury Village School building

  12-09-2024 18:38 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Roxbury Village School was closed in fall 2023. File photo courtesy of Roxbury Village SchoolThis story by Tracy Brannstrom was first published by the Montpelier Bridge on Sept. 11.What to do with the Roxbury Village School building is on the minds of board members for the Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools, following the board’s decision to close the school last fall. At its Sept. 4 meeting, Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools Superintendent Libby Bonesteel presented a han
  
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• Question of excess hospital revenue stokes tension between UVM Medical Center and state regulator

  12-09-2024 00:59 via vtdigger.org
  
  Sunil “Sunny” Eappen, president and CEO of the University of Vermont Health Network, speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony on Dec. 15, 2022. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerBetween 2022 and 2023, the University of Vermont Medical Center made more money than it was supposed to. The Burlington hospital was among four Vermont hospitals that brought in more than their state-approved budgets would have allowed. In its 2023 fiscal year, UVM Medical Center collected roughly $1.74
  
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• U.S. Senate confirms Mary Kay Lanthier’s nomination to federal bench in Vermont

  12-09-2024 00:46 via vtdigger.org
  
  Mary Kay Lanthier speaks during a nomination hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Thursday, June 20, 2024. ScreenshotThe U.S. Senate has approved the nomination of Mary Kay Lanthier to serve as a federal judge in Vermont. The Senate voted 55 to 42 late Wednesday afternoon to confirm Lanthier to the position, which carries a lifetime appointment. Four Republicans joined all the voting Democrats and independents in the Senate in approving Lanthier’s nomination.
  
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• Vermont’s congressional delegation celebrates release of $51 million in federal flood aid

  12-09-2024 00:33 via vtdigger.org
  
  Flooding prompted road closures in the village of Jeffersonville on July 11, 2023. Photo by Shaun Robinson/VTDiggerVermont’s congressional delegation on Wednesday welcomed the release of $51 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation to reimburse the state for repair costs from damages caused by flooding in 2023. Authorized through the annual appropriations process for the nation’s Highway Trust Fund, the aid comes through the Federal Highway Administration&rs
  
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• As commission shapes the future of public education, what does it know about the past?

  11-09-2024 23:20 via vtdigger.org
  
  Zoie Saunders, interim secretary of education, speaks during Gov. Phil Scott’s weekly press conference held at the Central Vermont Technical Center in Barre on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe newly created Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont has a big job: studying the state’s education system in order to chart a future that’s equitable, high-achieving and affordable. To do so, its members must learn from the most significant
  
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• News from VTDigger is different; Let me tell you why

  11-09-2024 23:00 via vtdigger.org
  
  Join the driveDear reader,My name is Ethan Weinstein. I’m a reporter here at VTDigger covering education and the prison system. What I do behind the scenes is what sets VTDigger apart from other kinds of news sources, and it’s why you should support us right now during our Fall Member Drive, if you can. Every week, I spend hours scanning hundreds of court dockets and documents — cases that impact our everyday lives: the crimes that affect us and our neighbors, the alleged
  
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• Fatal Vermont plane crash is an ‘unimaginable loss,’ Connecticut community says

  11-09-2024 22:48 via vtdigger.org
  
  Susan Van Ness, left, Paul Pelletier, Delilah Van Ness and Frank Rodriguez. Photo courtesy of Luis RevillaCommunity members in Middletown, Connecticut are grappling with the loss of four community members, including a teenager aspiring to be a pilot, her mother and her teacher, who died in a plane crash in Ferrisburgh on Sunday.Vermont State Police identified the four victims from Connecticut on Monday as Paul Pelletier, 55, of Columbia; Frank Rodriguez, 88, of Lebanon; and Susan Van Ness, 51, a
  
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• Hundreds slated to lose their motel rooms as new law kicks in

  11-09-2024 22:44 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Quality Inn in Barre on June 1, 2023. File photo by Natalie Williams/VTDiggerThis story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public.At the Quality Inn in Barre, a clock is ticking for Terri Ann Garrett and her 6-year-old granddaughter. Garrett has stayed at the motel since May with the aid of a voucher through Vermont’s emergency housing program. For years, she had lived in an apartment in Vergennes, but
  
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• Vermont Conversation: Peter Welch on Harris-Trump debate, voter suppression and potential election violence

  11-09-2024 22:22 via vtdigger.org
  
  U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, speaks with members of the media after visiting the the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi Community Center in Swanton on Oct. 6, 2023. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe 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&
  
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• Letting the good times roll

  11-09-2024 19:58 via vtdigger.org
  
  Since 1962, Twin City Family Fun Center has been a fixture in the Barre community. As with many family businesses, aging out came before a succession plan, meaning the lanes were due to close.Current owner Michael Drake, who said the business is as much a community center as it is a bowling alley, event venue and pizza restaurant, saw an opportunity to continue the legacy.“There are many types of groups that pass through, more than you would think,” Drake said. “We have a lot o
  
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• Vermont’s Roman Catholic Diocese faces another wave of lawsuits for past abuse

  11-09-2024 13:51 via vtdigger.org
  
  Changing leaves frame the steeple of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Brattleboro. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDiggerVermont’s Roman Catholic Diocese, having spent more than $30 million to settle some 40 priest misconduct lawsuits dating as far back as 1950, faces another wave of court cases alleging more past child sexual abuse. The state’s largest religious denomination is the subject of at least 16 more civil actions, records show. Collectively, they could prove eve
  
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• Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun: People struggling to find housing in Vermont are Vermonters

  11-09-2024 12:53 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun, a democrat representing the Windham-3 district in the Vermont House.I read Carly Berlin’s report on the perception by some that many who are unhoused in Vermont came here recently from out of state. That has not been my observation.I have worked as a case manager with unhoused individuals, both fifteen years ago (exclusively with youth) and also last year in Brattleboro. Fifteen years ago, I worked with young adults aged 16-21 and had no clients
  
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• Officials provide more details into fatal Ferrisburgh plane crash

  11-09-2024 00:57 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Basin Harbor airstrip in Ferrisburgh on Monday, September 9. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVERGENNES — Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board provided more details into the private plane crash that killed four Connecticut residents near Basin Harbor airstrip on Sunday.Kurt Gibson, an aviation accident investigator for the board, said he arrived on the scene Tuesday morning and accounted for all major parts of the aircraft.“The wreckage will be recovered later on
  
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• A national conservative lobbying group is piping up in Vermont politics — and Democrats are crying foul

  11-09-2024 00:31 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 NewsAs the libertarian political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity ramps up its activity in Vermont, the state’s Democratic Party has filed an official complaint over the group’s ongoing advertising campaign against legislation that seeks to reduce the use of fo
  
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