Vermont news

• With federal tax plan in flux, many in Vermont watch for fine print

  15-11-2017 23:59 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., speaks against the GOP tax reform proposal at a rally outside the Capitol. Photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger
  WASHINGTON —With details of Republican tax plans still in flux in Congress, Vermont officials and advocates are watching warily for potential negative impacts on programs dear to them.Stakeholders from a variety of industries in Vermont are watching to see whether certain provisions make it into the final package — which they say could have big implic
  
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• Incoming state Democratic chair vows to be more aggressive

  15-11-2017 23:52 via vtdigger.org
  Retired AIDS activist Terje Anderson is poised to take over as chair of the state Democratic Party this weekend, promising a “more visible and aggressive” challenge to Republican views while clearly laying out the Democratic position.
  Anderson will take over from Faisal Gill, the first Muslim elected as a major-party state chair in the country, who is stepping down to possibly run for office again.
  Terje AndersonGill said he seeks a more activist political role that wasn’t poss
  
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• Degree leaving Senate for administration post

  15-11-2017 23:52 via vtdigger.org
  Senate Minority Leader Dustin Degree, R-Franklin. Photo by Erin Mansfield/VTDigger ​Sen. Dustin Degree, R-Franklin County, is resigning his seat to take a job with Gov. Phil Scott’s administration.
  Degree will assume the title of special assistant to the governor and executive director of workforce expansion. The appointment will make Degree part of a “bipartisan duo” of former lawmakers tasked with coordinating and strengthening “initiatives to expand the size of V
  
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• Judge sets timeline in Toensing records requests

  15-11-2017 23:02 via vtdigger.org
  Attorney Brady Toensing. Pool photo by April McCullum/Burlington Free PressBURLINGTON — A superior court judge set a timeline Wednesday for the Vermont Attorney General’s office to conduct a search in a pitched public records battle involving GOP Vice Chair Brady Toensing.
  Attorney General TJ Donovan will have until Nov. 29 to search the private email accounts of four current employees and to set a process for a similar search of five former employees.
  The timeline set out Wednesday
  
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• When Vermont Inmates Die, It's Hard To Get The Full Story dlvr.it/Q17tnz https://t.co/uZennPFexd

  15-11-2017 22:53 via twitter.com
  
  When Vermont Inmates Die, It's Hard To Get The Full Story dlvr.it/Q17tnz https://t.co/uZennPFexd
  
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• LISTEN: When Vermont Inmates Die, It's Hard To Get The Full Story dlvr.it/Q17tld

  15-11-2017 22:53 via twitter.com
  LISTEN: When Vermont Inmates Die, It's Hard To Get The Full Story dlvr.it/Q17tld
  
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• Live At Noon: Sen. Bernie Sanders On GOP Tax Plan, Health Care And Recent Election Results dlvr.it/Q17hTC https://t.co/gnI61GnLM9

  15-11-2017 22:19 via twitter.com
  
  Live At Noon: Sen. Bernie Sanders On GOP Tax Plan, Health Care And Recent Election Results dlvr.it/Q17hTC https://t.co/gnI61GnLM9
  
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• UPDATED: Herring sentenced to life behind bars, no parole

  15-11-2017 21:47 via vtdigger.org
  At her sentencing Wednesday in a Barre courtroom, Jody Herring addresses friends and relatives of the four people she killed. Pool photo courtesy of WCAX-TV(This story was updated Nov. 15 at 8:15 p.m.)
  BARRE — Saying “she helped destroy a community,” a judge sentenced Jody Herring to life without parole for killing a state social worker and three of her own relatives she believed played a role in her losing custody of her 9-year-old daughter.
  Judge John Pacht imposed the senten
  
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• Herring sentenced to life behind bars, no parole

  15-11-2017 21:47 via vtdigger.org
  Jody Herring glances at her attorney Tuesday during the second day of her sentencing hearing in Barre criminal court. She was sentenced Wednesday to life without parole. Pool file photo by Stefan Hard/The Times ArgusBARRE — Jody Herring was sentenced to life without parole for killing a state social worker and three of her own relatives she believed played a role in her losing custody of her daughter two years ago.
  Judge John Pacht imposed the sentence Wednesday afternoon in Washington Sup
  
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• Frozen out: Ice skating rink won’t return to Statehouse lawn

  15-11-2017 20:57 via vtdigger.org
  Skaters circle the ice rink on the Statehouse lawn in early 2017. Photo by Ruth Hare/VTDiggerIce skating on the Statehouse lawn will not be continued after a one-season pilot last winter.A state commission that oversees the aesthetic integrity of the Statehouse grounds decided last week not to allow the skating rink this winter.Paul Carnahan, a member of the Capitol Complex Commission, said his motion to vote was not seconded by other commissioners and so died. He said that aesthetic concerns we
  
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• Deborah T. Bucknam of Walden appointed to the Vermont Commission on Women

  15-11-2017 19:48 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Commission on WomenNov 14, 2017
  Contact:Lilly Talbert, VCW Staff802-828-2841
  (Montpelier) – The Vermont Republican Party has appointed Deborah T. Bucknam, Esq. of Walden to serve on the Vermont Commission on Women. Ms. Bucknam will serve the remaining 2 years of Susie Hudson’s 4-year term.Ms. Bucknam has been practicing law in Vermont since 1979, and was licensed to practice in New Hampshire in 2005. She has practiced in all courts in Vermont, including t
  
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• Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf gets turkey match donation

  15-11-2017 19:43 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Chittenden Emergency Food ShelfNov. 13, 2017
  Media Contact:Anna McMahonCommunity Engagement ManagerChittenden Emergency Food Shelf(802) 658-7939 ext. 32
  [email protected]
  Burlington, VT—Community members Chip and Mary Hart are calling on fellow Vermonters to donate turkeys to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf and they will match the next 500 turkeys donated! Thanksgiving is right around the corner and the Food Shelf is almost 3,000 short of their 3,500 goal.
  Donors
  
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• Zephyr Teachout talks campaign finance reform Nov. 20 at Vermont Law School

  15-11-2017 19:40 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Law SchoolNov. 13, 2017
  Contact:Maryellen Apelquist, Director of Communications, Vermont Law Schooloffice: 802-831-1228, cell: 802-299-5593, [email protected]
  SOUTH ROYALTON, Vt., Nov. 13, 2017––The New Economy Law Center at Vermont Law School will present “Transform Politics: Reform Campaign Finance,” a discussion with political activist and Fordham University School of Law Professor Zephyr Teachout, from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov
  
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• World Cup ski racing returns to Killington on Thanksgiving weekend

  15-11-2017 19:36 via vtdigger.org
  Thousands attend the 2016 women’s World Cup ski event at Killington. File photo by Andrew Kutches/VTDigger(This story by Cherise Madigan appeared in the Manchester Journal on Nov. 14, 2017.)
  KILLINGTON — For the second year in a row the region will welcome some of the world’s top skiers for the Audi FIS Women’s Ski World Cup, to be held Nov. 24-26 at Killington Ski Resort.
  The World Cup, which drew 30,000 spectators over two days in 2016, will once again feature slalom an
  
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• Festival of Trees kicks off holiday season in St. Albans

  15-11-2017 19:35 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Franklin County Regional Chamber of CommerceNovember 13, 2017
  Contact:Franklin County Regional Chamber of Commerce
  [email protected]
  St. Albans, VT – The ninth annual Festival of Trees kicks off the holiday season in St. Albans Vermont. A full week of holiday-themed events and activities for families, the Festival runs from November 25 – December 3 in various locations throughout out the downtown corridor.
  The Festival of Trees is sponsored by St. Albans Community
  
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• Record turnout at Vermont Progressive Party convention

  15-11-2017 19:29 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Progressive PartyNov. 13, 2017
  Contact:Anthony PollinaChair, Vermont Progressive Party
  [email protected](802) 272-3765
  www.progressiveparty.org
  Josh WronskiDirector, Vermont Progressive Party
  [email protected](802) 229-0800
  Montpelier, VT – Nearly 150 people turned out for the State Convention of the Vermont Progressive Party on Sunday. The Convention capped several months of town and county meetings held in every corner of Vermont. Party leaders say t
  
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• More I-91 bridge work planned in Windham County

  15-11-2017 19:27 via vtdigger.org
  Two bridges carry Interstate 91 over the Saxtons River and Route 121 in Westminster. Photo by Kristopher Radder/Brattleboro ReformerWESTMINSTER – Within the past five years, the state Agency of Transportation has undertaken more than $100 million worth of bridge work on Interstate 91 in Windham County.
  And there’s more on the way.
  Agency officials say they’re planning a major repair project on two interstate bridges stretching over the Saxtons River and Route 121 in Westminster
  
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• White River Junction VA Medical Center holding transgender awareness event

  15-11-2017 19:24 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — White River Junction VA Medical CenterNovember 14, 2017
  Contact:Katherine Tang802-295-9363, ext. 5880
  [email protected]
  WHITE RIVER JUNCTION- November is Transgender Awareness Month, a time to raise the visibility of transgender and gender non-conforming people, and address the issues the community faces. The VA provides health care for transgender patients, including those who present at various points on their transition from one gender to the next. November provides an opp
  
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• National Science Foundation accepting nominations and applications for Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

  15-11-2017 19:18 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Agency of EducationNov. 14, 2017
  Contact:Margaret Carrera-BlyScience SpecialistProficiency-Based Learning TeamVermont Agency of EducationW. 802.479.1097T. @msblydoessci
  The National Science Foundation is currently accepting nominations and applications for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program. PAEMST is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 mathematics and science (inclu
  
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• Healthy Food Policy Project looks at policies across U.S., showcases innovative initiatives

  15-11-2017 19:13 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Law SchoolNov. 14, 2017
  Contact:Maryellen Apelquist, Director of Communications, Vermont Law Schooloffice: 802-831-1228, cell: 802-299-5593, [email protected]
  SOUTH ROYALTON, Vt., Nov. 14, 2017––Food law and policy experts today launched a national Healthy Food Policy Project (HFPP) that identifies and elevates local laws and policies that promote access to healthy food and contribute to strong local economies, improved environmental quality, and
  
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• Produce Safety Improvement Grant Program accepting applications beginning Nov. 15

  15-11-2017 19:09 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, & MarketsNovember 14, 2017
  Contact:Tucker DiegoFood Systems Coordinator (Dairy & Produce Safety)Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, & Markets(802) 828-2433
  [email protected]
  Funds granted on a first-come, first-served basis
  MONTPELIER, VT – The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) will accept applications for Produce Safety Improvement Grants beginning November 15. Approximately $74,000 in fu
  
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• 2018 Vermont Fish & Wildlife calendar is available

  15-11-2017 19:05 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Fish & Wildlife DepartmentNovember 14, 2017
  Media Contact:Susan Warner802-595-2470
  The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and Vermont Life Magazine announce the release of the colorful 2018 Fish & Wildlife Calendar. Filled with stunning photos of Vermont’s wildlife, including moose, chestnut-sided warbler, Atlantic salmon, hooded merganser, and whitetail deer, the calendar includes photos by many well-known Vermont photographers including Roger Irwi
  
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• UVM professor among scientists who describe future of National Science Foundation tectonics research

  15-11-2017 19:01 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — UVMNovember 14, 2017
  Contact:Kevin Coburn, [email protected]
  BURLINGTON — Professor of Geology Keith Klepeis of the University of Vermont and Associate Professor of Earth and Space Sciences Katharine Huntington of the University of Washington recently completed a biennial vision statement for the Division of Earth Sciences of the National Science Foundation describing new challenges and opportunities in the field of tectonics.
  Their report Challenges & Opportuni
  
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• Burlington Business Association to honor John Killacky at winter social event

  15-11-2017 18:54 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Burlington Business AssociationNovember 10, 2017
  Contact:Sarah O DonnellPhone: (802) 863-1175
  www.bbavt.org
  Burlington, VT – The Burlington Business Association (BBA) Winter Social is an annual celebration of the holiday season hosted by the BBA for members of the Burlington business community. This year’s event will honor John Killacky, Executive Director of the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts for his service to promote the arts and culture w
  
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• Vermont Business Roundtable and Economic & Policy Resources survey shows continuing neutral outlook

  15-11-2017 18:48 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Business RoundtableNovember 9, 2017
  Contacts:Lisa Ventriss, President, Vermont Business Roundtable(802) 865-0410
  [email protected]
  www.vtroundtable.org
  Jeffrey Carr, President, Economic & Policy Resources(800) 765-1377
  [email protected]
  www.epreconomics.com
  Vermont Business Roundtable and Economic & Policy Resources 3rd and 4th Quarter 2017 Business Conditions Survey and Index Results Show Continuing Neutral Outlook
  (South Burlington, Vt.) Today, Lisa
  
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• With ski season now underway, we're chatting today about changes and challenges in the ski industry. Have you alrea… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

  15-11-2017 16:02 via twitter.com
  With ski season now underway, we're chatting today about changes and challenges in the ski industry. Have you alrea… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
  
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• Businessman plans parking garage and hotel in Montpelier

  15-11-2017 14:30 via vtdigger.org
  A rendering of the Hampton Inn and Suites planned for Montpelier. Courtesy imageMONTPELIER — Local hotelier Fred Bashara is planning a new five-story hotel and parking garage in the capital.
  “We’re going to construct an 84-room hotel at the rear of our parking lot. Adjacent to that will be a parking structure,” Bashara said at a press conference at the Capitol Plaza Hotel he owns. The new Hampton Inn would be located directly behind the Capitol Plaza.
  Construction could b
  
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• A few Vermont ski resorts are officially open, so as we kick off this new season, we're taking a look on the show a… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

  15-11-2017 13:58 via twitter.com
  A few Vermont ski resorts are officially open, so as we kick off this new season, we're taking a look on the show a… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
  
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• State senator proposes per parcel fee for Lake Champlain cleanup

  15-11-2017 12:58 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Chris Bray. File photo by Hilary Niles/VTDiggerSen. Chris Bray, D-Addison, has proposed legislation that would fund programs with a per-parcel fee.
  The Legislature last spring asked a working group made up of members of Gov. Phil Scott’s cabinet to find a long-term funding source for phosphorus reduction efforts.
  In a report released Tuesday, Scott administration officials failed to find a way to pay for Lake Champlain cleanup and suggest that a new revenue source should not be identi
  
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• State senator proposes per parcel fee for Lake Champlain clean up

  15-11-2017 12:58 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Chris Bray. File photo by Hilary Niles/VTDiggerSen. Chris Bray, D-Addison, has proposed legislation that would fund programs with a per-parcel fee.The Legislature last spring asked a working group made up of members of Gov. Phil Scott’s cabinet to find a long term funding source for phosphorus reduction efforts.
  In a report released Tuesday, Scott administration officials failed to find a way to pay for Lake Champlain clean up and suggest that a new revenue source should not be identi
  
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• Lawmakers threaten to sue Education agency secretary

  15-11-2017 12:30 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Laura Sibilia, I-Dover. Photo by Erin Mansfield/VTDiggerSeveral lawmakers are threatening the secretary of the Agency of Education with a lawsuit if she doesn’t deliver a study mandated by state statute. They say the secretary can’t pick and choose which laws to implement.
  In an August 3 letter to lawmakers, Secretary of Education Rebecca Holcombe said the Agency of Education didn’t have the capacity to initiate or complete a study of the way students are counted. Instead
  
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• Clean-water working group punts on issue of long-term funding

  15-11-2017 03:58 via vtdigger.org
  Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore is chair of the working group that looked for a long-term funding source for pollution control efforts. File photo by Mike Faher/VTDiggerA working group that was supposed to find long-term funding to stem Vermont’s water pollution says the state can put off raising money — in part because nobody knows yet how to make use of it.
  When new funding is warranted, the group says, the best mechanism might be a per-parcel fee. That suggestion is the cl
  
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• State’s attorney excused from testifying in Herring case; status unclear

  15-11-2017 03:16 via vtdigger.org
  Washington County State’s Attorney Scott Williams. File photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDiggerBARRE — A judge has rejected a bid from Jody Herring’s lawyer to have Washington County State’s Attorney Scott Williams testify at her sentencing hearing on four murder convictions.
  Meanwhile, WCAX-TV reported Tuesday night that Williams, one of the first people on the scene of one of the slayings in downtown Barre, is on leave from his job. The TV station said it wasn’t clear
  
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• State’s attorney excused from testifying in Herring case, receiving care at the Brattleboro Retreat

  15-11-2017 03:16 via vtdigger.org
  Washington County State’s Attorney Scott Williams. File photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDiggerEditor’s note: This story was updated at 6 a.m. Nov 15.BARRE — A judge has rejected a bid from Jody Herring’s lawyer to have Washington County State’s Attorney Scott Williams testify at her sentencing hearing on four murder convictions.
  Williams, one of the first people on the scene of one of the slayings in downtown Barre, is on leave from his office, with a source telling VTD
  
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• Brattleboro ‘nutraceutical’ company sells for $28M

  15-11-2017 01:38 via vtdigger.org
  BRATTLEBORO – It would be easy for the casual passer-by to miss NutraGenesis.
  The downtown Brattleboro company maintains no storefront, and there’s no prominent sign pointing the way through a side door and up a set of stairs to the offices.
  But the booming “nutraceutical” industry is taking notice: NutraGenesis has been purchased for $28 million by Innophos, a New Jersey company that says it is seeking to aggressively capitalize on “mega-trends” in the health
  
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• Mark Pendergrast: ‘Sexual predators’

  15-11-2017 01:05 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Mark Pendergrast, who is the author of many books. He lives in Colchester and can be reached through his website, www.markpendergrast.com.
  I’ve been pondering why the term “sexual predator” bothers me, just as it disturbs me when people label someone as evil or insane or a monster. It provides a convenient stereotypical compartment to keep them at bay, to make them the “other,” different from normal people, different from u
  
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• Roger Allbee: Transportation, past and future

  15-11-2017 01:00 via vtdigger.org
  This commentary by Roger Allbee, the soon to be retired CEO of Grace Cottage Family Health and Hospital in Townshend. He is a former secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.It began just 200 years ago, on July 4, 1817, when the beginning of a 363-mile-long, 40-foot-wide and 4-foot-deep canal was begun, connecting the Hudson River to the Great Lakes, in the town of Rome, New York. It was completed eight years and four months later at a cost of $7.1 million. Tolls paid off
  
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• Don Keelan: It does take a village

  15-11-2017 00:55 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Don Keelan, a retired certified public accountant and resident of Arlington. The piece first appeared in the Bennington Banner.
  In his remarks earlier this year before a Manchester audience, Ed McMahon, a nationally recognized town planner, quoted anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
  Recently, several scores of r
  
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