Vermont news

• Locals at odds over herbicide permit for Lake St. Catherine

  21-11-2024 21:35 via vtdigger.org
  
  On Wednesday afternoon, more than 75 local residents from Wells, Poultney and other nearby towns packed into the Town of Wells Town Clerk’s office or joined online for a meeting held by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.The crowd had gathered to learn more about a draft decision by the state to allow Lake St. Catherine Association and SOLitude Lake Management to continue the use of the herbicide ProcellaCOR (florpyrauxifen-benzyl) to target the invasive species called Eu
  
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• Only a few days left in VTDigger’s Thanksgiving Drive: Feed families and support journalism

  24-11-2024 19:00 via vtdigger.org
  
  The most recent data shows that hunger in Vermont is on the rise year over year — a crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, rising housing costs and recent flooding. VTDigger has covered these issues extensively, bringing attention to the growing challenges Vermonters are facing.This Thanksgiving, we’ve partnered with the Vermont Foodbank to help provide meals to neighbors in need and we only have a few days left to send 5,000 meals! There are hundreds of thousands of readers who re
  
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• Young Writers Project: ‘Autumn’

  24-11-2024 13:11 via vtdigger.org
  
  “The Red Barn,” by Allison Merkle, 17, of West RutlandYoung Writers Project is a creative, online community of teen writers and visual artists that started in Burlington in 2006. Each week, VTDigger publishes the writing and art of young Vermonters who post their work on youngwritersproject.org, a free, interactive website for youth, ages 13-19. To find out more, please go to youngwritersproject.org or contact Executive Director Susan Reid at sreid@
  
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• Vermont’s goals for a new residential center for justice-involved youth remain murky

  24-11-2024 13:08 via vtdigger.org
  
  For more than 35 years, on a forested road near the banks of the Winooski River, Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center housed some of Vermont’s most troubled youths.By the time Gov. Phil Scott’s administration shut it down in fall 2020, the 30-bed juvenile detention center in Essex had drawn multiple lawsuits, replete with horrific details describing inhumane conditions and treatment for the facility’s residents. Few publicly lament the shuttering of Woodside, but since
  
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• Patrick Flood: It’s time for a different approach from the UVM Medical Center’s leaders

  24-11-2024 13:02 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Patrick Flood of Woodbury. He is former commissioner of the Vermont Department of Mental Health and the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living, and former deputy secretary of the Agency of Human Services. Lately, there has been growing controversy about rising health care costs in Vermont and the central role the UVM Medical Center plays in creating these high costs. The Green Mountain Care Board recently approved UVMMC’s budget for 2025, but re
  
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• Neville Berle: Psychedelic therapy in Vermont

  24-11-2024 13:02 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Editor,I was heartened to read that Vermont is studying the risks and potential benefits of psychedelic therapy.Having benefited much from such therapy, I urge the study group to learn from challenges and successes of such programs in Colorado, Oregon and Utah. Rigorous standards are essential to any form of therapy, and must be established in Vermont. Once those are in place, I think we can move ahead with confidence. To my mind, the potential benefits far outweigh the risks, and as i
  
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• William Wintersteen

  23-11-2024 00:40 via vtdigger.org
  
  Birth June, 26, 1936Schentectady, NYDeath Nov. 21, 2024Essex Junction, VTDetails of serviceThe family will receive those who wish to extend condolences on Monday, Nov. 25th from 5-7 p.m. at Gifford Funeral Home in Richmond. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, November 26th, 3 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Burlington, VT.William (Bill) Ruffner Wintersteen, of Richmond, VT, passed away on Nov. 21, 2024, after a long life well-lived. Despite facing a courageous battle with Lewy
  
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• Vermont pushed hundreds of people out of motels this fall. Here’s where some ended up 

  22-11-2024 23:36 via vtdigger.org
  
  Terri Ann Garrett and her granddaughter Sariyah in the bedroom they share at the home at which they are staying in Lowell on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThis story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public.Earlier this year, it seemed like Corey Moquin was beginning to get his feet under him. In March, Moquin, 39, had entered Vermont’s motel voucher program after a stint at a hospital r
  
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• ‘It’s taken years for us to get to where we are’: Women’s ranks in the Statehouse will be smaller come 2025

  22-11-2024 23:34 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Vermont House gathers in the Statehouse on Jan. 10, 2024. File photo by Natalie Williams/VTDiggerWhen Vermont’s incoming first-term senators gathered in the Senate chamber in Montpelier this week for their new member orientation, the nine newcomers had something in common: They were all men.The new slate of senators will take their oaths of office at the start of the two-year legislative biennium in January. And this year, only 10 out of 30 members will be women, compared to 12 women i
  
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• Vermont Public Utility Commission signs off on Consolidated Communications sale

  22-11-2024 23:03 via vtdigger.org
  
  Contractors for Consolidated Communications install fiber optic broadband internet cables on utility poles in Montpelier on April 5, 2021. File photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerConsolidated Communications has received the green light from the Vermont Public Utility Commission to proceed with its proposed sale to a private investment company.The $3.1 billion sale to affiliates of Searchlight Capital Partners and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation still needs approval from federal r
  
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• State to pay nearly $200K to family of infant who died at Rutland child care facility 

  22-11-2024 22:46 via vtdigger.org
  
  Harper Rose Briar’s parents, Marissa Colburn, center, and Blake Briar, right, are joined by over 30 people wearing pink T-shirts that read “Justice for Harper Rose” at Rutland criminal court Monday morning. Pool photo by Robert Layman/Rutland HeraldThe state will pay almost $200,000 to the parents of a 6-month-old baby who died at a Rutland child care facility to settle a suit the family brought alleging that the Vermont Department for Children and Families failed to properly i
  
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• Six new e-buses coming to Williston’s Allen Brook School

  22-11-2024 21:34 via vtdigger.org
  
  Six new electric school buses are set for delivery to Allen Brook School by next fall under a contract approved Tuesday, Nov. 19 by the Champlain Valley School Board. Photo courtesy of Highland FleetsThis story by Jason Starr was first published in The Williston Observer on Nov. 21The Champlain Valley School Board approved the lease of six new electric school buses on Tuesday to be stationed at Allen Brook School in Williston.The buses will join two existing electric buses at the K-2 school, rep
  
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• W. John Kress, Curt Lindberg and Walter Poleman: It’s time to get serious about nature

  22-11-2024 13:08 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by W. John Kress of Dorset, Curt Lindberg of Waitsfield and Walter Poleman of Burlington. They are members of the Vermont Biodiversity Alliance.The 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, convened in Cali, Colombia, has ended. The two weeks were packed with plenaries, regional meetings, contact groups, friends of the chairs, summits, side events, focus groups, presentations, informal discussions and outside protests.With 23,000
  
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• Steven Berbeco: You belong here

  22-11-2024 13:08 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Steven Berbeco of Winooski. He is editor of the 802 Ed, a biweekly newsletter about education policy and practice in Vermont.A Latin teacher from junior high school once told me thatthe word trivia comes from roots meaning “three roads.”The idea was that people would come together where roads meet to  exchange small pieces of information — trivia. Here in Vermont we certainly swap news on street corners, and I’ve had my share of half-s
  
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• ‘We are in a crisis’: Internal survey shows deep discontent among Burlington police

  22-11-2024 12:51 via vtdigger.org
  
  Burlington Police Department cruisers parked outside the department in Burlington on Monday, August 26. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThe Burlington Police Department has no clear mission. It is severely understaffed, and its officers are routinely burnt out and utterly overwhelmed by a growing number of high-priority incidents.That’s according to an internal survey of Burlington police officers, conducted anonymously by the Burlington Police Officers’ Association in July and August
  
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• Vermont receives $5.3 million in federal grants to expand internet access in the state

  22-11-2024 00:33 via vtdigger.org
  
  Christine Hallquist. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerVermont has been awarded $5.3 million from the federal government to implement its Digital Equity Plan — which outlines how the state will provide individuals and communities with the tools and skills necessary to benefit from meaningful access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service. “Internet and broadband. It’s no longer a luxury. It’s an essential service,” Patty Richards, chair of the Vermont
  
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• UVM Health Network cuts elicit dismay, frustration

  22-11-2024 00:00 via vtdigger.org
  
  About 80 demonstrators gathered for a noontime honk and wave outside the Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin to protest against proposed health care service cuts on Thursday, November 21. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerFor 18 years, Patty Croccolo has been a patient at Waitsfield’s family medicine clinic. The facility, which is affiliated with Central Vermont Medical Center, is a 15-minute drive from her home in Warren. Her daughter works as a part-time nurse there, and the medic
  
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• Ex-head of union for Homeland Security workers in Vermont to admit embezzling from the organization

  21-11-2024 22:23 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Department of Homeland Security office in St. Albans on Tuesday, November 15, 2022. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerA New York woman who served as the president of the union representing U.S. Department of Homeland Security workers in Vermont and New York is facing a criminal charge for allegedly embezzling from that union, resulting in a $36,000 “out-of-pocket” loss.Leticia Russi-Shareno is set to plead guilty to a single felony count of wire fraud next month in federal court in
  
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• Less than one week left! Your gift can make a difference.

  21-11-2024 22:01 via vtdigger.org
  
  For fifteen years, VTDigger has been telling the stories that shape Vermont. From in-depth investigations into food insecurity to election coverage and breaking news, our mission is to bring you the information that matters most — and we rely on your support to keep going.Every month, hundreds of thousands of dedicated readers turn to VTDigger for trusted, timely news, but only 1% actually help support it. If everyone who read VTDigger gave $25 or even $5 right now, we would meet our year-
  
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• Mary Immen Hall

  21-11-2024 20:30 via vtdigger.org
  
  Birth Oct. 8, 1933Mount Vernon, NYDeath Nov. 16, 2024Albany, NYDetails of serviceThere will be no visiting hours. A celebration of Mary’s life will take place at 11:00 am on Friday, November 22, 2024 at the Second Congregational Church. A reception will follow at the church. For those unable to attend the service, it will be live streamed and the link can be found on the church website. The link will remain available following the service.Mary Immen Hall, long time resident of Bennington,
  
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• Plea deal reached in assault at Northwest correctional facility that led to incarcerated man’s death

  21-11-2024 18:39 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans Town on Feb. 4, 2022. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerIn a case the prosecutor said involved “a strong component” of mental illness, Mbyayenge Mafuta pleaded guilty Thursday morning to charges of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault in the death of his cellmate at the Northwest State Correctional Facility nearly two years ago.During a brief court hearing in Franklin County criminal court, State’s Attorney Br
  
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• Vermont lacks dental providers, efficient treatments, new report finds

  21-11-2024 18:36 via vtdigger.org
  
  Many Vermonters have insufficient or nonexistent access to dental care, and the state is losing dental providers, according to a new report released Thursday. The Vermont Oral Health Equity Landscape Report, published by the nonprofit Voices for Vermont’s Children, found that, over roughly the past half-decade, Vermont has lost dentists at a faster rate than almost every other state and seen a decline in its children’s dental health.The state has also been slow to roll out new d
  
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• Linda Andrews: The Green Mountain Care Board works for all Vermonters

  21-11-2024 13:01 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Editor,The Green Mountain Care Board is working hard at the near impossible task of reducing Vermont health care costs. Many Vermonters are unable to afford the high cost of health care insurance and are falling into medical debt. Since hospitals are a main driver of insurance premiums, the University of Vermont Health Network, which includes three Vermont hospitals and three in New York, must reduce their costs to make health insurance affordable.UVM Health Network should not be blaming an
  
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• Jeremy Morrison: Cognitive traps in discourse around public safety

  21-11-2024 13:01 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Jeremy Morrison of Brattleboro. He is an addiction medicine and family medicine physician at Grace Cottage in Townshend and treasurer of the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont.The conversations in towns around homelessness, drug use and visible poverty have recently taken a sharp turn into talk of safety and policing. There are so many reasons for people to feel unsafe these days: our society is as unstable as it’s ever been, wealth disparity is rising to levels not see
  
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• Jeremy Morris: Cognitive traps in discourse around public safety

  21-11-2024 13:01 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Jeremy Morris of Brattleboro. He is an addiction medicine and family medicine physician at Grace Cottage in Townshend and treasurer of the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont.The conversations in towns around homelessness, drug use and visible poverty have recently taken a sharp turn into talk of safety and policing. There are so many reasons for people to feel unsafe these days: our society is as unstable as it’s ever been, wealth disparity is rising to levels not seen
  
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• Windsor County criminal court temporarily moves to Woodstock

  21-11-2024 12:55 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Windsor District Court building in White River Junction will be closed for 12 to 18 months for renovations. Family and criminal court operations will be held at the Windsor County Courthouse in Woodstock. Photo by Jennifer Hauck/Valley NewsThis story by John Lippman was first published in The Valley News on Nov. 16WOODSTOCK — For the next 18 months or so, Windsor County criminal court cases will be heading back to the future.Back, that is, to criminal cases being heard in the county&rs
  
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• Bernie Sanders’ attempts to block arms sales to Israel fail in U.S. Senate

  21-11-2024 04:29 via vtdigger.org
  
  U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks to attendees at an election rally at South Burlington High School, on Saturday, Oct. 19. Photo by Evan L’Roy/VTDiggerU.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Wednesday unsuccessfully sought to block the U.S. from sending certain arms to Israel, arguing that the country was violating international human rights laws in its offensive in Gaza, now in its second year.Sanders forced votes in the U.S. Senate on three joint resolutions of disapproval, which would
  
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• Copley Hospital support staff unionize

  20-11-2024 23:40 via vtdigger.org
  
  Copley Hospital in Morrisville on Oct. 19, 2023. File photo by Carly Berlin/VTDigger and Vermont PublicSupport staff at Morrisville’s Copley Hospital voted to unionize last Thursday. The formation, which came through a decisive 68-44 vote, joins together the hospital’s nearly 150 staff with its almost 100 nurses in the regional United Nurses and Allied Professionals union.“I wanted to form a union to be able to have a voice at the table,” Leta Karasinksi, an emergency dep
  
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• An Afghan family aims for homeownership in Vermont — with help from a new partnership

  20-11-2024 23:35 via vtdigger.org
  
  Wardak Karimi at home in Shelburne with his three sons, from left, Yaseen, 11; Nekmal, 5; and Igrar, 8, on Saturday, November 2. His wife and two daughters are also part of the family. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDiggerThey fled a home in war-torn Afghanistan. Now they are hoping to find a new one in Vermont.In a spotless living room, with neat clusters of grapes, oranges and nuts laid out on white platters, Wardak Karimi, 38, poured tea with a flourish from the curved spigot of an elaborate golden
  
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• Montpelier council eyes job cuts to avert 24% tax increase next year

  20-11-2024 21:30 via vtdigger.org
  
  Montpelier City Hall. Photo by Carla Occaso/The BridgeThis story by Carla Occaso was first published in The Bridge on Nov. 20The Montpelier City Council is bracing for budget cuts when the first draft budget will be presented on Dec. 11. Initial figures to run the city in fiscal year 2026, without cutting current expenses, would cause taxes to go up over 24%, according to Montpelier Finance Director Sarah LaCroix.LaCroix emphasized during the Nov. 13 city council meeting that her “budget d
  
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