Vermont news

• Scott gives qualified support for Medicaid block grants

  27-07-2017 23:56 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott. File photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerGov. Phil Scott continued Thursday to criticize U.S. Senate efforts at health care reform but said the state could also accept a fundamental change to how Medicaid is reimbursed — moving to block grants — under certain conditions.
  The Republican governor said he was “disappointed” the Republican-led U.S. Senate had not addressed concerns he and other governors raised. On Wednesday, Scott and nine other governors sent a
  
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• Man admits beating his mother to death with wine bottles

  27-07-2017 23:44 via vtdigger.org
  RUTLAND — Roderick Geronimo looked straight ahead and showed no emotion as he admitted killing his 82-year-old mother by slamming a kitchen table into her chest and bashing her over the head with a pair of wine bottles.Geronimo, 55, who according to court records told police after the killing that he was “casting out the devil” he believed possessed his mother, pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaughter.
  Roderick Geronimo pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Courtesy photoHe had been c
  
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• Pop-up demonstration installed in Burlington’s South End

  27-07-2017 21:48 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — AARP VermontJuly 26, 2017
  Contact:Dave Reville802-951-1303
  [email protected]
  Pop-up Demonstration Project Coming to Burlington’s South End
  BURLINGTON, VT — A pop-up demonstration project is being installed Thursday morning through Friday noon at the corner of St. Paul St. and Howard St. in Burlington’s South End. The project involves a temporary reconfiguration of intersection borders to create more public community space and a safer pedestrian crossing. Th
  
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• Thetford Academy student charged with sex assaults on classmates

  27-07-2017 21:47 via vtdigger.org
  (This story appeared first in the Valley News on July 27, 2017. Updates are planned.)
  CHELSEA — A 16-year-old Thetford Academy student pleaded not guilty Wednesday to seven counts of felonious sexual assault involving five female classmates, documents from Orange Superior Court show.
  Connor Tatro, of Post Mills, is being tried as an adult, court officials said.
  In a letter to the school community Wednesday afternoon, Head of School William Bugg said the assaults “allegedly took place
  
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• Rutland Regional Medical Center offers Alzheimer’s Awareness seminars

  27-07-2017 21:44 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Rutland Regional Medical CenterJuly 24, 2017
  Media Contact:Peg Bolgioni802.772.2843
  [email protected]
  Rutland Regional Offers Alzheimer’s Awareness Seminars
  Rutland, VT-Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear in their mid-60s. According to the National Institute of Hea
  
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• South Burlington write-in candidates fined for campaign finance violations

  27-07-2017 21:19 via vtdigger.org
  SOUTH BURLINGTON — Two school board write-in candidates have agreed to pay small fines for campaign finance violations during their failed bids in the last election.
  Residents Marcy Brigham and Dan Emmons ran for the board after its decision to drop the Rebels moniker for school sports teams. Both opposed changing the name and campaigned against the South Burlington school budget, which failed twice before its ultimate passage.
  Their incumbent opponents, Monica Ostby and Paul Engles, filed
  
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• Technology And Advocacy For Patients With Type-1 Diabetes bit.ly/2uGdWnH https://t.co/swZKtYX1az

  27-07-2017 20:18 via twitter.com
  
  Technology And Advocacy For Patients With Type-1 Diabetes bit.ly/2uGdWnH https://t.co/swZKtYX1az
  
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• Vermont Yankee cleanup concerns ‘unfounded,’ companies say

  27-07-2017 19:43 via vtdigger.org
  Vermont Yankee’s reactor. Photo courtesy of Vermont YankeeVERNON – Under fire by critics in recent weeks, the current and potential owners of Vermont Yankee are defending their plans to decommission the Vernon nuclear plant.
  In more than 130 pages of documents filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, attorneys for Entergy and NorthStar Group Services use phrases like “bald assertions,” “unfounded claims” and “pure speculation” to describe conc
  
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• Vermont Technical College receives Delta Dental gift

  27-07-2017 19:43 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Technical CollegeJuly 25, 2017
  Contact:Amanda Chaulk802-728-1732
  [email protected]
  Randolph, VT – Delta Dental Plan of Vermont has awarded Vermont Technical College a $63,000 grant to expand the college’s Dental Hygiene program.
  The Dental Hygiene program operates out of Vermont Tech’s Williston Campus, where students get hands-on practice on both real and model patients. The college wants to extend this program to accommodate more students from a
  
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• Weatherization program given healthy homes award

  27-07-2017 19:30 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Department for Children and FamiliesJuly 25, 2017
  Contact:Sarah Phillips(802) 241-0938
  Vermont’s Weatherization Program Awarded the 2017 HUD Secretary’s Healthy Homes Award
  Waterbury, VT – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Environmental Health Association recently announced that Vermont’s Weatherization Program was one of four programs in the country to be awarded the 2017 HUD Secretary’s Award f
  
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• Vermont Official Urges Action On Massive Famine In Africa And The Middle East bit.ly/2uG4G2V https://t.co/g9dhcsgpUe

  27-07-2017 19:25 via twitter.com
  
  Vermont Official Urges Action On Massive Famine In Africa And The Middle East bit.ly/2uG4G2V https://t.co/g9dhcsgpUe
  
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• Police: Man kills estranged wife, self in Maidstone

  27-07-2017 19:23 via vtdigger.org
  The Vermont State Police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide involving the deaths of an estranged husband and wife on Wednesday night in Maidstone, authorities said Thursday morning.
  The deceased are Jason and Molly McLain.
  Police arrested Jason McLain, 33, in June, charging him with domestic assault against his wife and interfering with emergency services.
  After his arrest, Jason McLain was arraigned, released conditionally, and issued a court injunction prohibiting any contact with hi
  
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• Rare flower rediscovered in Vermont

  27-07-2017 18:02 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Fish and Wildlife, The Nature ConservancyJuly 27, 2017
  Media Contacts:Everett Marshall802-371-7333
  Eve Frankel802-229-4425 x101
  Botanists Rediscover Rare Flower in Vermont
  ‘Winged Loosestrife’ Previously Thought to be Extinct in the State
  MONKTON, Vt. – A Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department botanist and his wife were out for a weekend hike at Raven Ridge Natural Area in Monkton recently when they discovered a flowering plant that has not been see
  
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• Vermont Center for Ecostudies awarded bird conservation grant

  27-07-2017 17:53 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Center for EcostudiesJuly 25, 2017
  Contact:Dr. John Lloyd
  [email protected]: 802.649.1431 Ext. 207
  VCE Awarded Migratory Bird Conservation Act Grant for Work in the Dominican Republic
  NORWICH, VT – The Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) announced today that it has received funding from a Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) grant, administered through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Under this program, more than $3.8 mill
  
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• Vermont grassland bird populations in decline

  27-07-2017 17:46 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Fish and WildlifeJuly 24, 2017
  Media Contacts:John Buck802-777-5773
  Steve Parren802-371-7142
  Grassland Bird Populations in Decline in Vermont
  MONTPELIER, Vt. – Grassland-nesting bird populations continue to decline in numbers in Vermont, according to recent surveys conducted by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.Bird species that nest in grasslands include vesper sparrows, grasshopper sparrows, bobolinks, and easte
  
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• Weston Playhouse plans director transition

  27-07-2017 17:40 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Weston Playhouse Theatre CompanyJuly 24, 2017
  Contacts:Steve Stettler802-824-8167 x102
  [email protected]
  Anthony Wood212-794-2008
  [email protected]
  WESTON PLAYHOUSE FOUNDING DIRECTORS PLAN TRANSITION
  Longtime Partners to Pass the Baton in 2018
  (L to R) Weston Founding Directors Malcolm Ewen, Tim Fort, and Steve Stettler on the site of the company’s new second stage, Weston Playhouse at Walker Farm.
  Courtesy photo.Weston, Vt. —Weston Playhouse Theatre Com
  
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• Regional organizations develop Richmond Stormwater Master Plan

  27-07-2017 17:34 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Chittenden County Regional Planning CommissionJuly 24, 2017
  Contact:Dan Albrecht
  [email protected]: (802) 846-4490 x *29
  Regional organizations team up with Town of Richmond to develop Richmond Stormwater Master Plan
  Winooski, VT – Through a grant provided by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as part of the State’s Clean Water Initiative, the Town of Richmond and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) are par
  
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• Montpelier accepting public art work applications

  27-07-2017 17:26 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Community Engagement LabJuly 24, 2017
  Contact:Paul Gambill
  [email protected]
  MONTPELIER FORMING SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR LARGE PUBLIC ART WORK
  The city of Montpelier is welcoming applicants to serve on a committee to choose an artist to design, create and install a permanent work of art at the One Taylor Street Redevelopment Project.
  In March, the city announced that –­ In collaboration with Montpelier Alive and the Community Engagement Lab
  
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• Department of Labor and St. Johnsbury business fill available positions

  27-07-2017 17:04 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Department of LaborJuly 24, 2017
  Contact:David Lahr802.828.5277
  [email protected]
  www.labor.vermont.gov
  Department of Labor Partners with Local Business to Fill Hiring Needs
  St. Johnsbury, VT. – The Vermont Department of Labor has partnered with NSA Industries, LLC in St. Johnsbury in an effort to fill the company’s available positions with skilled, available talent. On Wednesday, July 26, 2017, NSA will open its doors from 4:00p.m. – 7:00p.m.
  
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• Burlington reduced energy usage during peak days, data shows

  27-07-2017 16:39 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Burlington ElectricJuly 24, 2017
  Contact:Mike Kanarick802.735.7962
  Burlingtonians Answered Call to Reduce Energy Usage
  Community Proved Readiness for Upcoming Peak Days; Humane Society Awarded $1,000
  Burlington, VT – The Burlington community answered the call last Thursday by reducing its energy usage in response to the first peak day alert issued by the Burlington Electric Department as part of its newly-launched Defeat the Peak program (view prior news releases here
  
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• Weinberger and library director respond to hate speech

  27-07-2017 15:22 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Mayor Miro WeinbergerJuly 21, 2017
  Contact:Katie Vane802.734.0617
  Mayor, Library Director Denounce Hate Speech Found at Fletcher Free Library
  Burlington, VT – Today Library Director Mary Danko and Mayor Miro Weinberger released the following statements in response to graffiti, which included a swastika and racial epithet, found at the Fletcher Free Library.
  “On Tuesday morning, I learned that graffiti had been discovered in one of the Library’s restrooms,&r
  
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• Bennington residents press officials for more action on PFOA

  27-07-2017 11:52 via vtdigger.org
  A resident of Bennington County gets a blood test for the chemical PFOA. Bennington Banner photoNORTH BENNINGTON — Officials explained a $20 million settlement with the multi-national conglomerate Saint Gobain to residents here Wednesday night.The agreement is partial redress for toxic contamination of hundreds of local wells in the area.
  Residents applauded officials as they digested some of the best news they’ve heard since the wide-spread pollution was discovered early last year.
  
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• Sanders leads debate opposition on Obamacare repeal

  27-07-2017 10:54 via vtdigger.org
  WASHINGTON — Over the course of two days of debate and votes on a variety of proposals, the Senate has so far failed to repeal Obamacare.
  The discussion over health care proposals began Tuesday afternoon, when Senate Republicans secured a narrow victory on a procedural vote that allowed 20 hours of debate to begin.
  The Senate is moving forward with a bill that passed the House earlier this year. However, the House-passed proposal is not popular in the Senate, and Republican leadership is s
  
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• Residents with PFOA push for company to do more

  27-07-2017 02:45 via vtdigger.org
  Attorneys for Bennington residents affected by PFOA contamination continued to press their clients’ interests Wednesday, declaring that the state’s agreement with Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics to fund $20 million in water line extensions to about half the affected properties is only a first step.
  “In particular, residents living east of the railroad tracks along Route 7A in Bennington will continue to lack a public water source,” the attorneys said in a news release.&
  
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• Residents affected by PFOA vow to continue class action lawsuit

  27-07-2017 02:45 via vtdigger.org
  Attorneys for Bennington residents affected by PFOA contamination continued to press their clients’ interests Wednesday, declaring that the state’s agreement with Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics to fund $20 million in water line extensions to about half the affected properties is only a first step.
  “In particular, residents living east of the railroad tracks along Route 7A in Bennington will continue to lack a public water source,” the attorneys said in a news release.&
  
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• Trump transgender military ban draws civilian ire in Vermont

  27-07-2017 02:38 via vtdigger.org
  A National Guard pilot returns home from deployment overseas. A Vermont National Guard spokesperson said Wednesday he had “no information” concerning the president’s announcement. File photo by Morgan True/VTDiggerWASHINGTON — A tweeted announcement from the president Wednesday that the country would not allow transgender people “to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military” drew strong opposition from Vermont leaders.
  Meanwhile, others were assessing the imp
  
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• LISTEN: Taking The Pulse Of Vermont's Tech Industry bit.ly/2uDI17H https://t.co/I47AtYTAgW

  27-07-2017 01:55 via twitter.com
  
  LISTEN: Taking The Pulse Of Vermont's Tech Industry bit.ly/2uDI17H https://t.co/I47AtYTAgW
  
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• Controversy continues, but Pownal chooses five projects to pursue

  27-07-2017 01:29 via vtdigger.org
  Pownal residents vote on possible community-oriented projects during an Empower Pownal meeting Tuesday. Photo by Jim Therrien/VTDiggerPOWNAL — About 120 town residents whittled down a list of proposed community-oriented projects from 16 to five, but not before critics of the Vermont Council on Rural Development-led initiative continued to press their objections.
  That included attempts to re-argue points debated in the media and elsewhere over the past month, leading to a few flurries of ra
  
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• Conversion of motel to housing for homeless is complete

  27-07-2017 01:18 via vtdigger.org
  Chris Donnelly, of the Champlain Housing Trust, in the kitchen of a unit at the new Bel Aire Apartments in Burlington. Photo by Emily Greenberg/VTDiggerBURLINGTON — The former Bel Aire Motel on Shelburne Road reopened its doors Wednesday as an apartment complex for chronically homeless people with significant health needs.The Bel Aire Apartments were developed by the Champlain Housing Trust, a nonprofit aimed at creating and preserving affordable housing in Burlington, and funded with exce
  
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• Anthony Pollina: Middle class needs tax reform, not budget cuts

  27-07-2017 01:05 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by state Sen. Anthony Pollina, P-Washington, of Middlesex, who is the interim chair of the Vermont Progressive Party.Gov. Phil Scott had already told agency heads to propose budgets with spending cuts of 2 percent to 4 percent. And now some legislators have quickly begun considering budget cuts as the only response to lower than expected revenues. Sound familiar? It should. We’ve been down this road before and we are bound to end up in the same place
  
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• Treatment center in Rutland moving closer to downtown

  27-07-2017 01:04 via vtdigger.org
  Work is underway at BROC Community Action in Southwestern Vermont on Union Street in Rutland so that Rutland Mental Health Services can house its substance abuse treatment programs in part of the facility. Photo by Alan J. Keays/VTDiggerRUTLAND — Two Rutland nonprofit organizations are coming together to run and house a substance treatment program a short distance from the city’s downtown.
  Rutland Mental Health Services is moving its Evergreen Substance Abuse Center to unoccupied spa
  
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• Tom Hughes: Scott’s commission must explore carbon pollution pricing

  27-07-2017 01:00 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Tom Hughes, who is the campaign director of Energy Independent Vermont, a coalition of Vermont businesses, nonprofits, low-income service providers, students, clergy and academics working to price carbon pollution and strengthen the Vermont economy.
  Last week Gov. Phil Scott took another step towards real climate action. His signed an executive order creating a Vermont Climate Action Commission and reaffirmed the climate and clean energy goals set forth
  
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• Rob Roper: Allowing illegal votes is voter suppression

  27-07-2017 00:55 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Robert Roper, the president of the Ethan Allen Institute. He lives in Stowe.
  We can all agree that barring someone who is eligible to vote from doing so is a grave injustice. It robs a citizen in our representative republic of their voice in the process of governance. This is unacceptable.
  However, allowing somebody to vote who is not a legally eligible voter has the exact same effect and is equally unjust. Allowing an ineligible voter to cast a ballot
  
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• Judge rejects release bid for Mount Tabor murder suspect

  27-07-2017 00:06 via vtdigger.org
  A judge has denied a bid by a Mount Tabor woman accused of killing her husband to get released from jail as she awaits her murder trial.
  Rutland County State’s Attorney Rose Kennedy, who is prosecuting the case against Peggy Shores, has argued against releasing her to a relative’s home in Wells. The prosecutor has contended that the remote location of the residence would make it difficult to properly monitor Shores.Peggy Shores has pleaded not guilty to a charge that she fatally shot
  
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