Vermont news

• Burlington School Board, union still far apart on new contract

  01-06-2017 23:40 via vtdigger.org
  
  Fran Brock, president of the Burlington Education Association, holds a sign at a rally last fall during earlier contract talks. File photo by Andrew Kutches/VTDiggerBURLINGTON — After a seven-hour mediated bargaining session Wednesday, the Burlington School Board and its teachers union are still at loggerheads on a new contract.
  Mediation began in April after the board declared an impasse in the talks, and now both sides will submit proposals to a mediator by Wednesday. The mediator, Micha
  
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• Suspect in sex assault at courthouse to be tried elsewhere

  01-06-2017 23:35
  
  The man charged with sexually assaulting a woman in the bathroom of the courthouse in Vermont's largest city is going to be tried elsewhere.
  
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• With Bids Due Soon, Here's What's Next In Burlington Telecom Sale bit.ly/2rZowaA https://t.co/bc1JDUVkF5

  01-06-2017 23:33 via twitter.com
  
  With Bids Due Soon, Here's What's Next In Burlington Telecom Sale bit.ly/2rZowaA https://t.co/bc1JDUVkF5
  
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• Vermont congressional delegation decries Trump climate plan

  01-06-2017 23:30
  
  The three members of the Vermont congressional delegation are decrying President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord.
  
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• Chittenden County prosecutor starting fundraising for 2018 race

  01-06-2017 23:29 via vtdigger.org
  
  Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George. File photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger
  BURLINGTON — Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George is preparing to launch her 2018 election campaign more than a year before the primary.
  George, a Democrat, was appointed by Republican Gov. Phil Scott in January, continuing a time-honored convention of appointing candidates of the same party as the person vacating a position. George replaced TJ Donovan, who is now attorney genera
  
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• Slow Living Summit weighs ‘Conscious Capitalism’

  01-06-2017 22:09 via vtdigger.org
  
  Raj Sisodia, co-author of “Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business,” is a keynote speaker at this week’s Slow Living Summit in Brattleboro. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDiggerBRATTLEBORO — The keynote speaker at this week’s Slow Living Summit knew what the socially minded crowd of nearly 200 suspected about capitalism.
  “The idea of profit maximization has been extraordinarily harmful,” Babson College professor Raj Sisodia began.
  
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• Three more solar arrays going up in Bennington area

  01-06-2017 21:29 via vtdigger.org
  
  BENNINGTON — Two 500-kilowatt solar generating facilities are in the preliminary construction phase in Bennington, while a third of similar size is well underway in North Pownal.
  Encore Renewable Energy has begun work on an array on 3.5 acres off Route 7 in Bennington. The parcel, which will be leased, is owned by Shirley McClenithan, according to the company.
  The town will receive net-metering credits through the project, providing a 15 percent discount that is estimated to save Benningto
  
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• Massachusetts lawyer mistaken for Vt. attorney convicted in deadly crash

  01-06-2017 21:29
  
  A case of mistaken identity nearly cost a Massachusetts lawyer his job.
  
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• Burlington partway done with waterfront bike path upgrade

  01-06-2017 21:07 via vtdigger.org
  
  BURLINGTON — The city has completed the first phase of its planned rehabilitation of the waterfront bike path and will begin the second phase next week.
  Mayor Miro Weinberger was joined by members of the Parks Commission and officials from the University of Vermont Medical Center on Wednesday to celebrate the progress and announce plans for the next phase of construction.
  “We are making great progress in the critical effort to restore and improve the Burlington Bike Path,” Wein
  
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• New Hampshire House passes fetal homicide bill

  01-06-2017 20:55
  
  The New Hampshire House has passed legislation to allow murder charges to be brought against those who cause the death of a fetus.
  
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• With second merger vote looming, Royalton asks, ‘What if?’

  01-06-2017 20:51 via vtdigger.org
  
  A sign in Royalton urges voters to support a school district merger proposal in a second vote. Photo by Tiffany Danitz Pache/VTDiggerROYALTON — Local residents met this week to go over their options under Act 46 in preparation for a June 13 revote on a school district merger with Rochester and Bethel.In April, Royalton voters overwhelmingly rejected the same proposal, but resident Laurie Smith said people were surprised to learn their vote also halted mergers across the supervisory union.
  
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• Prosecutor: Government won't seize alleged drug haven

  01-06-2017 20:47
  
  The federal government has abandoned efforts to seize a Vermont boarding house that prosecutors say was a haven for drug activity.
  
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• Charity to open early childhood education center

  01-06-2017 20:43
  
  A Vermont charity is planning to start construction next month on a new center to provide early childhood education and other services for poor families with help from a $500,000 federal grant.
  
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• Will a fake crash, trial have an impact on students?

  01-06-2017 20:28
  
  Remember being 17?  A lot of us were just able to start driving friends in the car and as a teenager. It's a really exciting time. But it also could mean a lot of pressure for drivers to make good decisions before getting behind the wheel. 
  
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• LGBTQIA Solidarity March is June 10 in Montpelier

  01-06-2017 20:12 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — LGBTQIA Solidarity MarchMay 31, 2017
  Press Contacts:Jesse Scarlato802-595-3980
  [email protected]
  Mike McCleese
  [email protected]
  Anne Charles
  [email protected]
  If I can’t dance I don’t want to be part of your revolution. Emma Goldman.
  LGBTQ Rights are Human Rights here in Vermont and across the U.S. This year, because of the frightening and regressive assault on human rights in this country, the LGBTQIA community is doing some
  
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• 61st Annual Vermont Dairy Festival to be Held June 1-4

  01-06-2017 20:08 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — Vermont Dairy FestivalMay 31, 2017
  Contact:Pierre Boudreau802-933-4134
  Vermontdairyfestival.com
  Enosburg Falls, VT – June marks the start of National Dairy Month, and for the 61st year the Vermont Dairy Festival will celebrate the tradition of dairy farming in Enosburg Falls from June 1 – 4.
  The Vermont Dairy Festival started in 1956 and was known as Dairy Days with a focus on celebrating the dairy industry for farmers. Today, the festival is the Lion’s Clu
  
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• Development of the Swanton Heritage Trail Underway

  01-06-2017 20:04 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — Northern Forest Canoe TrailJune 1, 2017
  Contact:Karrie Thomas
  [email protected], 802-496-2285
  Waitsfield, Vt. – The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) is working with the Village of Swanton, the Missisquoi Valley Union High School Field Study Class, and the Swanton Historical Society to create the Swanton Heritage Trail. This unique trail, accessed by both land and water, will celebrate the important role the Missisquoi River played in commerce and tr
  
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• Pomerleau donates $1M to Burlington YMCA

  01-06-2017 20:02
  
  Thanks to a generous donation, the YMCA in Burlington is one step closer to a new start.
  
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• Age Well and Essex Meals on Wheels Merge

  01-06-2017 20:01 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — Age WellMay 31, 2017
  Contact:Sara WoolDirector of Development & CommunicationsAge Well (formerly the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging)802-662-5229
  [email protected]
  Age Well and Essex Meals on Wheels Merge to Meet the Growing Needs ofNorthwestern Vermont’s Aging Population
  May 31, 2017 (Essex Junction, VT) – After decades of partnering to relieve hunger, Age Well and Essex Meals on Wheels (EMOW) announced today they will merge their home-delivered meal serv
  
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• 2017 Road Pitch Schedule and Prize Package Announced

  01-06-2017 19:58 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — FreshTracks Road PitchMay 31, 2017
  Contact:Holly J. KillaryAdministrative AssistantFreshTracks Capital(802) 923-1501 (Direct Line)
  www.freshtrackscap.com
  Shelburne, Vermont…. The third annual FreshTracks Road Pitch, a five day motorcycle tour of Vermont in which a gang of “business bikers” (comprised of investors, entrepreneurs and business advisors) ride around the state and stop in ten Vermont towns to listen to entrepreneurs pitch their business concept
  
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• Leahy, Sanders And Welch Announce $1.3 Million In Grants To Vermont Universities

  01-06-2017 19:53 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — Vermont Congressional DelegationJune 1, 2017
  Leahy Press Contact:David Carle(202) 224-3693
  Sanders Press Contact:Dan McLean802-862-6695
  Welch Press Contact:Kate Hamilton(202) 440-3340
  BURLINGTON, Vt. (THURSDAY, June 1, 2017) — The U.S. Department of Education has awarded more than $1.3 million in grants to Vermont universities, announced Thursday by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.). The grants, awarded th
  
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• Gov. Phil Scott Declares June 7 & 8 Second Annual Vermont Day of Giving

  01-06-2017 19:50 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — Common Good VermontMay 31, 2017
  Contact:Morgan Webster
  [email protected] x 21
  Burlington, VT – In acknowledgement of the important role Vermont’s nonprofit sector plays in the state’s economy, Governor Phil Scott recently declared June 7 and June 8, 2017, the 2nd Annual “Vermont Gives Day of Giving.” Vermont Gives is a 24-hour fundraising event, created by Vermonters for Vermonters, to support local charities and causes, high
  
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• Senator Patrick Leahy On Budget, Russia Probe bit.ly/2qEXPUU https://t.co/qR0NNquPUb

  01-06-2017 19:11 via twitter.com
  
  Senator Patrick Leahy On Budget, Russia Probe bit.ly/2qEXPUU https://t.co/qR0NNquPUb
  
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• Tractor-trailer off the Interstate causes delays in Swanton

  01-06-2017 19:08
  
  A tractor-trailer off the Interstate caused delays in Swanton all morning.
  
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• Brattleboro Memorial Hospital named in malpractice suit

  01-06-2017 19:04 via vtdigger.org
  
  (This story is by Bob Audette, of the Brattleboro Reformer, in which it first appeared May 31, 2017.)
  BRATTLEBORO — A woman at the center of a case that resulted in the Division of Licensing and Protection issuing a pair of citations to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital filed a malpractice lawsuit May 22.
  According to documents filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont, attorneys for Cynthia Hawthorne, of Ohio, contend the hospital and its emergency department director, George T
  
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• Police: 2 men arrested for using fake $100 bills in Quechee

  01-06-2017 18:27
  
  Two men have been arrested for passing counterfeit cash in the Quechee area.
  
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• Racial justice legislation gets Scott’s signature

  01-06-2017 18:22 via vtdigger.org
  
  Gov. Phil Scott addresses reporters. File photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerA bill that will increase scrutiny of racial disparities in the state’s criminal and juvenile justice systems was signed into law Wednesday.
  The legislation, H.308, creates a 13-member panel charged with oversight of racial disparities throughout the criminal justice system, from policing to prosecution to prisons.
  The legislation also lays the foundation to turn the focus to racial disparities in other aspects of Ve
  
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• New Hampton Inn by Hilton in St. Albans to Open June 2

  01-06-2017 17:28 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — American Resort ManagementMay 31, 2017
  Contact:Richard ColemanSenior Vice President Operations & DevelopmentAmerican Resort Management(814) 833-2631
  [email protected]
  St Albans, Vermont – May 31, 2017 – American Resort Management, LLC of Erie, PA today announced that the new Hampton by Hilton located in the heart of downtown St Albans will open with a ribbon-cutting at 3:00 pm on Friday, June 2nd, 2017. Members of the community along with
  
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• Cleaning service worker pleads not guilty to theft charges

  01-06-2017 17:24
  
  A woman who worked for a Vermont home cleaning service has pleaded not guilty to charges that she committed identity theft and stole from clients.
  
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• Sanders to Deliver High School Commencement Remarks

  01-06-2017 17:23 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — Sen. Bernie SandersMay 31, 2017
  Contact:Dan McLean, 802-862-0697
  May 31 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will deliver the commencement remarks at two Vermont high schools in the coming weeks.
  Sanders will deliver the South Royalton High School commencement address on June 10 in South Royalton. Sanders will also be the commencement speaker during Champlain Valley Union High School’s graduation on June 16. On Monday, Sanders will also deliver video remarks to gra
  
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• International Human Rights Activist Afshin-Jam is Commencement Speaker for Norwich’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies

  01-06-2017 17:19 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — Norwich UniversityMay 31, 2017
  Contact:Daphne Larkin802-485-2886
  [email protected] us on Twitter @NorwichNews
  Norwich’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies Welcomes International Human Rights Activist, Alumna, Nazanin Afshin-Jam as Commencement Speaker
  NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Norwich University’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies is honored to announce that Nazanin Afshin-Ham, an award-winning international human rights activist and Master
  
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• Pot decriminalization bill heads to New Hampshire governor

  01-06-2017 17:16
  
  The New Hampshire House has voted to remove criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana.
  
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• Vermont Attorney General Launches ‘Scam Buster’ campaign

  01-06-2017 17:13 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — Office of the Attorney GeneralMay 31,2017
  Contacts:Christopher Curtis, Chief of Public Protection, Assistant Attorney General 802-828-5586, [email protected]
  Andrea Cohen, Vermont Electric Cooperative, 802.696.9036, [email protected]
  Patty Richards, Washington Electric Cooperative, 802.223.5245, [email protected]
  Mike Kanarick, Burlington Electric Department, 802.735.7962, [email protected]
  Kristin Carlson, Green Mountain Power, 80
  
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• 7 babies born May 29 to receive $100 college savings accounts

  01-06-2017 17:06 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — VSACMay 31, 2017
  VSAC Media Contact:Sabina Haskell802-542-2240
  [email protected]
  VSAC and Vermont hospitals partner to celebrate 529 Day
  Montpelier (May 31, 2017) – Seven babies born at Vermont hospitals on May 29 will each receive $100 in a 529 college savings account from Vermont Student Assistance Corp.
  The Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems partners with VSAC, which administers Vermont’s 529 college savings plan, to help educate Vermont famili
  
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• Health Department Survey: 65% of Vermont Adults Believe Flavored Tobacco Products Should Be Illegal

  01-06-2017 17:00 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — Vermont Department of HealthMay 31, 2017
  Media Contact:Vermont Department of Health802-863-7281
  Survey shows flavored tobacco, especially fruit and candy flavors, appeals to youth
  BURLINGTON – High school youth activists joined community tobacco coalition volunteers and state health officials today in releasing the results of a public opinion survey that illustrates the role flavored tobacco products play in introducing youth to tobacco use.
  Amaya Rogers, a freshman at
  
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• VPIRG calls for climate action in Vermont in the face of presidential retreat

  01-06-2017 16:55 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — VPIRGMay 31, 2017
  Contact:Paul Burns, VPIRG, 802-793-1985 (mobile)
  Montpelier, VT – President Donald Trump thinks climate change is a “hoax.”Today, he’s poised to quit the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which united most of the world around a plan to fight global warming.
  In fact, of the 197 countries that are part of the United Nations group on climate change, only two failed to sign the agreement – Syria and Nicaragua. Under Trump, the U.S. wou
  
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• Two New Board Members at Vermont Youth Conservation Corps

  01-06-2017 16:53 via vtdigger.org
  
  News Release — Vermont Youth Conservation CorpsMay 31, 2017
  Contact:Naomi GalimidiDevelopment Director(802) 434-3969 ex 112
  [email protected]
  RICHMOND, VT, May 30, 2017 – Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) is pleased to announce the addition of two new members of its Board of Trustees; Anne Adler of Stowe, and Benjamin Eastman of Huntington. Anne and Ben will join the rest of VYCC’s board in providing strategic direction for the organization, and serve in the invalua
  
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• Today at 12: We'll look at how the lives of truckers have changed and the ongoing challenges faced by the industry. bit.ly/2qBTv8y

  01-06-2017 16:29 via twitter.com
  Today at 12: We'll look at how the lives of truckers have changed and the ongoing challenges faced by the industry. bit.ly/2qBTv8y
  
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• 1 injured in head-on collision in Essex

  01-06-2017 16:02
  
  Susie Wilson Bypass in Essex was closed Wednesday night because of an accident.
  
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• NH Republican-led Senate OKs $11.8 billion budget

  01-06-2017 15:54
  
  The Republican-led New Hampshire Senate has approved an $11.8 billion budget after rejecting more than two dozen amendments offered by Democrats.
  
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• First-ever "opiate court" designed to help addicted suspects

  01-06-2017 15:30
  
  A city in upstate New York is now home to the nation's first ever "opiate court" - a pilot program designed to help those arrested and addicted to opioids.
  
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• Utilities company offers $1,200 for purchasing electric cars

  01-06-2017 15:25
  
  The electric utility for Vermont's largest city is offering to help customers upgrade to electric cars, contributing $1,200 for the purchase of each new vehicle.
  
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• Vermont governor says talks continuing on marijuana plan

  01-06-2017 15:20
  
  Vermont Republican Gov. Phil Scott says he thinks it still could be possible to pass a marijuana legalization bill in what's expected to be the upcoming two-day veto session of the state Legislature.
  
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• Thanks to your generosity we made our $20,000 donor match.

  01-06-2017 14:01 via vtdigger.org
  
  VTDigger’s Statehouse reporting crew, from left to right: Mike Polhamus, Tiffany Pache, Jon Margolis, Erin Mansfield, Anne Galloway, Elizabeth Hewitt and Mark Johnson. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
   
  Dear Reader,
  Thanks to your generosity we met our $20,000 donor match. As part of the match that ended Wednesday, May 31, we raised $20,030 from 270 individual donors that will be matched dollar for dollar.
  As you know, VTDigger must raise $200,000 by June 15. We are grateful
  
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• Democrats fuel feud with Scott over teacher health care

  01-06-2017 08:03 via vtdigger.org
  
  Democrats in the Legislature continue to feud with Republican Gov. Phil Scott over his proposal for a statewide teacher health care deal.
  Senate Democrats, who have a veto-proof majority in the upper chamber, have disputed the merits of Scott’s proposed changes to teacher health care through news releases, Facebook, and opinion pages in local newspapers.
  They argue that claims Scott himself and his campaign make at weekly news conferences and claims from the Scott for Governor campaign, wh
  
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• Heroin arrest in Burlington

  01-06-2017 07:05
  
  A suspected Burlington drug dealer is off the streets.
  
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• Boil water issued in Peru, NY

  01-06-2017 07:04
  
  A boil water order in Peru, New York.
  
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• Car crash closes Susie Wilson Byway in Essex

  01-06-2017 05:45
  
  Susie Wilson Bypass in Essex was closed Wednesday night because of an accident.
  
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• End of Rutland drug house forfeiture case prompts questions

  01-06-2017 03:08 via vtdigger.org
  
  These two buildings on Cottage Street in Rutland had been facing possible seizure by the federal government due to drug dealing there. Instead the property has been sold. Photo by Alan J. Keays/VTDiggerRUTLAND — A rooming house property the government had been trying to seize due to drug trafficking there has been sold and the forfeiture case has been dismissed, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.But not all city officials are cheering the news about the property on Cottage Street, once pi
  
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• Health software maker settles fraud case in Vermont for $155M

  01-06-2017 02:39 via vtdigger.org
  
  BURLINGTON — A Massachusetts-based electronic health records company with numerous clients in Vermont is settling a fraud case for $155 million with the U.S. Justice Department.
  The massive settlement is the largest ever in the District of Vermont, according to Eugenia Cowles, acting U.S. attorney in Vermont.
  The company eClinicalWorks, one of the nation’s largest providers of electronic health records software, is alleged to have fraudulently obtained federal certification for its s
  
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