Vermont news

• Macy’s to close Burlington store

  03-01-2018 23:46 via vtdigger.org
  BURLINGTON — Macy’s store in downtown Burlington is closing in March, according to the company.The store closure is part of a larger company plan to close 100 stores nationwide, according to company spokesperson Emily Hawkins. Store employees were told about the closure Wednesday, she said.
  “Macy’s, Inc. has been reviewing its real estate portfolio across the country to see if there are opportunities to improve the use of our assets. After careful consideration, Macy&rsqu
  
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• House Speaker Mitzi Johnson’s opening remarks

  03-01-2018 22:11 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This is the full text of House Speaker Mitzi Johnson’s speech on Jan. 3, 2018, the first day of the second half of the 74th biennium.
  When I stood before you a year ago and accepted your confidence as Speaker, I asked for your trust, your curiosity, and your commitment. And you delivered. While my title is Speaker of the House, I’ve learned that my main role is to be Listener of the House. I was reminded of that this morning when I woke up with ears that were wor
  
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• Burlington School Board renews, extends superintendent’s contract

  03-01-2018 22:08 via vtdigger.org
  Yaw Obeng, the superintendent of the Burlington School District. File photo by Jess Wisloski/VTDigger
  BURLINGTON – The Burlington School Board recently renewed Superintendent Yaw Obeng’s contract for three years amid concerns from some community members that the school district’s top executive is a target of unrelenting criticism from an array of people who live and work in the city.School board Chairman Mark Porter declined to discuss Obeng’s contract renewal and the pro
  
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• UPDATED: Johnson opens session with pitch to pull together on problems

  03-01-2018 21:59 via vtdigger.org
  House Speaker Mitzi Johnson addresses lawmakers Wednesday on the opening day of the legislative session. Photo by Bob LoCicero/VTDigger
  
  House Speaker Mitzi Johnson opened the second half of the 74th biennium of the Vermont Legislature on Wednesday morning with a measured speech about the depth of the difficulties the state faces and how she aims to bring representatives together to help begin to solve what have been intractable problems, from income inequality to the opiate crisis to cl
  
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• LISTEN: Live From Montpelier: Life Behind The Scenes At The Statehouse dlvr.it/Q8lj5R https://t.co/oovZl8QDQ0

  03-01-2018 21:25 via twitter.com
  
  LISTEN: Live From Montpelier: Life Behind The Scenes At The Statehouse dlvr.it/Q8lj5R https://t.co/oovZl8QDQ0
  
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• Judge nixes criminal charge for alleged racist phone call

  03-01-2018 21:11 via vtdigger.org
  Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George addresses the media. She called the dismissal a learning experience. File photo by Cory Dawson/VTDigger
  BURLINGTON — A former University of Vermont student won’t face charges for overheard remarks that a bystander described as racist and threatening.A judge said Tuesday the state didn’t have grounds to charge Wesley Richter with disorderly conduct.Richter was overheard in a phone call with his mother. A UVM community member
  
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• Trump approves disaster declaration to aid October storm recovery

  03-01-2018 20:49 via vtdigger.org
  A utility worker plans his next cut while removing a downed tree from power lines in Royalton on Oct. 31. A federal disaster declaration will let some utilities qualify for aid. File photo by James M. Patterson/Valley News
  President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration for Vermont on Tuesday, releasing federal dollars to assist recovery efforts after an October storm.
  The storm brought widespread high winds and floodwaters, knocking out power in communities across Vermont.
  Mark Bosma, pu
  
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• Phoenix Books to host Lauren Markham, author of ‘The Far Away Brothers’

  03-01-2018 18:36 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Phoenix BooksDec. 28, 2017
  Contact:Kristen EatonPhoenix Books802.872.7111 (p)[email protected]
  JOURNALIST LAUREN MARKHAM’S URGENT CHRONICLE OF CONTEMPORARY IMMIGRATION
  Burlington, Vermont – December 28, 2017: On Thursday, January 18th at 6:30pm, Phoenix Books Burlington will host Lauren Markham for a talk on her new book, The Far Away Brothers, an urgent chronicle of contemporary immigration.
  Growing up in rural El Salvador in the wake
  
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• Listening to our live broadcast from the Vermont Statehouse? (Yes, it's on right now!). We're also sharing some vid… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

  03-01-2018 18:35 via twitter.com
  Listening to our live broadcast from the Vermont Statehouse? (Yes, it's on right now!). We're also sharing some vid… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
  
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• Granite State Power Link application for U.S. presidential permit submitted

  03-01-2018 18:30 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — GridAmerica Holdings Inc.Dec. 27, 2017
  Contact:Christine [email protected]
  Project to Deliver Clean, Low Cost Wind Energy into New England
  (WALTHAM, MA) December 27, 2017 — GridAmerica Holdings Inc., a non-regulated subsidiary of National Grid plc, applied on Friday, December 22nd to the U.S. Department of Energy for a Presidential Permit to authorize the U.S./Canada border crossing of the Granite State Power Link (GSPL) project, o
  
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• And we're live from #Montpelier! Tune in now to listen to our broadcast from the Vermont Statehouse:… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

  03-01-2018 18:08 via twitter.com
  And we're live from #Montpelier! Tune in now to listen to our broadcast from the Vermont Statehouse:… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
  
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• Annie Houston to lead Highland Center for the Arts

  03-01-2018 18:05 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Highland Center for the ArtsJan. 2, 2018
  Contact:Rob Halpert, Search Committee ChairHighland Center for the Arts(802) [email protected]://highlandartsvt.org/
  (Greensboro, VT, January 2, 2018) – The Board of Directors of the Highland Center for the Arts (HCA) announces the appointment of Annie Houston as the organization’s inaugural Executive Director, effective January 22, 2018. Annie joins HCA from Boston’s Mass Cultural Council, where she has
  
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• Emergency national protests planned if Trump fires Mueller

  03-01-2018 17:59 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Peace & Justice CenterDec. 30, 2017
  Contact:Rachel [email protected](802) 863-2345 x1
  Nobody is Above the Law Protest Possible
  ​What will happen if Mueller is fired?
  As the nation watches to see if President Trump fires Special Counsel Robert Mueller, activists across the country are gearing up for a nationwide response — with more than 180,000 people signed up to take the street in nearly 700 locations within hours of Trump firing Mueller. Vermont is no
  
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• FairPoint Communications brings gifts of technology to Central Vermont Adult Basic Education

  03-01-2018 17:50 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Central Vermont Adult Basic EducationDec. 21, 2017
  Contact:Central Vermont Adult Basic Education(802) [email protected]
  BARRE, VT – Dec. 21, 2017 – During this holiday season, FairPoint Communications delivered seven new computers on Dec. 20, 2017 to Central Vermont Adult Basic Education (CVABE) in support of the organization’s free adult education and literacy services. The computers will be distributed among several of CVABE’s lear
  
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• Manchester Music Festival receives major capital grant

  03-01-2018 17:47 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Manchester Music FestivalJan. 2, 2017
  Contact:Meredith [email protected]
  MANCHESTER, VT: To further support and enhance the long-term success of the Manchester Music Festival (MMF), The James H. and Irene M. Hunter Charitable Trust has awarded the organization a $295,000 capital grant. This capital grant is designed to provide extended long-term support for MMF, primarily to bring additional top-quality artists to the MMF Summer Festival.
  The invest
  
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• Funding available for programs that increase access to college and career education in Vermont

  03-01-2018 17:42 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Community FoundationJanuary 2, 2018
  Contact:Carolyn WeirSenior Philanthropic Advisor for the McClure Foundation & Program and GrantsThe Vermont Community [email protected] ext. 239
  Suggested Tweet#Funding is available for programs that increase access to college & career education in #VT through @McClureVtFdn http://ow.ly/eyQA30hxlVt #vted
  The J. Warren & Lois McClure Foundation has announced available funding for the 2018-19 schoo
  
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• Brattleboro Museum & Art Center’s annual juried exhibit opens Jan. 13

  03-01-2018 17:37 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Brattleboro Museum & Art CenterJanuary 2, 2018
  Contact:Danny [email protected], ext. 108
  Open Call NXNE 2018 Showcases Works on Paper by 22 Artists from New England and New York
  BRATTLEBORO, VT — The change of calendar brings changing exhibits to the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC). Constellations: Roger Sandes and In-Sight Exposed close on Monday, January 8. They will be replaced by Open Call NXNE 2018: Works on Paper
  
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• Tickets on sale for Brattleboro’s 15th annual Collegiate A Cappella Concert, Feb. 3

  03-01-2018 17:34 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Brattleboro Museum & Art CenterJanuary 2, 2018
  Contact:Danny [email protected], ext. 108
  BRATTLEBORO, VT — Tickets are on sale now for Brattleboro’s 15th Annual Collegiate A Cappella Concert, a benefit for the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center taking place at the Latchis Theatre on Saturday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m. Sponsored by Brattleboro Savings & Loan, the concert features eight singing groups from around New Engla
  
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• Vermont’s Free Ice Fishing Day is Jan. 27

  03-01-2018 17:31 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Fish & WildlifeDecember 20, 2017
  Media Contact:Nicole Meier, [email protected], 802-318-1347; Adam Miller, 802-777-2852
  Ice Fishing Festival to be held at Lake Bomoseen State Park in Castleton
  CASTLETON, Vt. – Vermont’s fifth annual Free Ice Fishing Day is set for Saturday, January 27, and will be celebrated by a fun-filled ice fishing festival in Castleton.
  Vermont’s Free Ice Fishing Day, which takes place each year on the last Saturday
  
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• Hey there #vtpoli fans, @JaneLindholm has a message for you! (Spoiler: It's that we're broadcasting live from the… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

  03-01-2018 17:17 via twitter.com
  Hey there #vtpoli fans, @JaneLindholm has a message for you! (Spoiler: It's that we're broadcasting live from the… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
  
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• Stowe Motel sold after 40 years in Ruschp family hands

  03-01-2018 17:15 via vtdigger.org
  Sean Kearney of Stowe and Ted Steers of Vail, Colorado, are the new owners of the Stowe Motel. Courtesy photo
  (This is a combination of two stories, one by Caleigh Cross, that were published in the Stowe Reporter in December.)
  The new owners of Stowe Motel say they plan to keep running it as a motel for the foreseeable future.Sean Kearney of Stowe and Ted Steers of Vail, Colorado, paid $2.6 million for the property that includes the Stowe Motel & Snowdrift. The pair bought the property from
  
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• UPDATED: Officer shooting in St. Albans under investigation

  03-01-2018 13:06 via vtdigger.org
  Jack LaPlant, 26, of St. Albans was shot by St. Albans Police Department officers on Monday evening.
  LaPlant was carrying a rifle and gun shots had been reported in the city, according to a press release from the Vermont State Police. When police encountered him, there was an exchange of gunfire and LaPlant’s abdomen was grazed by a bullet.
  He was sent to Northwestern Medical Center and was subsequently transferred to the UVM Medical Center where he was treated for the non-life threatening
  
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• Officer shooting in St. Albans under investigation

  03-01-2018 13:06 via vtdigger.org
  Jack LaPlant, 26, of St. Albans was shot by St. Albans Police Department officers on Monday evening.
  LaPlant was carrying a rifle and gun shots had been reported in the city, according to a press release from the Vermont State Police. When police encountered him, there was an exchange of gunfire and LaPlant’s abdomen was grazed by a bullet.
  He was sent to Northwestern Medical Center and was subsequently transferred to the UVM Medical Center where he was treated for the non-life threatening
  
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• State could take $36 million hit with federal health care cuts

  03-01-2018 12:49 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Bill Lippert, D-Hinesburg, chair of House Health Care Committee. Photo by Erin Mansfield/VTDigger
  Lawmakers hoped that by their return to Montpelier this week, federal health care changes that have been in flux since last summer would have been resolved. But major policy and budget issues that would have an impact on Vermont remain in play.
  Proposed reductions in spending for several key programs could total $36 million in fiscal year 2019.RELATED STORIESState could take $36 million hit wit
  
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• Northern Vermont University-Lyndon Transfer Student Day in Jan. 11

  03-01-2018 02:48 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Northern Vermont UniversityDecember, 2017
  Contact:Sylvia Plumb: 802.626.6459, [email protected]
  LYNDON CENTER, VERMONT — Students interested in transferring to Northern Vermont University-Lyndon are invited to an information day Jan. 11, 2018, on campus. The event begins at 3 p.m.
  Those who attend the free information day will have a campus tour, attend information sessions, and talk with admissions representatives. Students who submit an online NVU-Lynd
  
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• Mayor Miro Weinberger’s public appearance schedule for Jan. 2-5, 2018

  03-01-2018 02:43 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Office of Mayor Miro WeinbergerJanuary 2, 2018
  Contact:Katie Vane802.734.0617
  Mayor Miro Weinberger’s public appearance schedule for January 2 – 5, 2018:
  Tuesday, January 2No public appearances scheduled
  Wednesday, January 38:00 am Mornings with Miro – The Bagel Café, 1127 North Ave
  Thursday, January 4 – Friday, January 5No public appearances scheduled
  Read the story on VTDigger here:Mayor Miro Weinberger’s public appearance schedule for
  
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• Once​ ​devastated​ ​by​ ​Tropical​ ​Storm​ ​Irene,​ Berlin mobile home park purchased by residents

  03-01-2018 02:39 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Weston’s​ ​Mobile​ ​Home​ ​Cooperative,​ ​Inc.December 29, 2017
  Contact:Leandro Perojo, President, Weston’s Mobile Home Cooperative Board of DirectorsAndy Danforth, Housing Program Director, CDI (401) 439-9795Annik Paul, Cooperative Development Specialist, CDI (802) 851-0110,Paul Bradley, President, ROC USA, LLC (603) 513-2818
  Becomes​ ​203rd​ ​networked​ ​resident-owned​ &#
  
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• Bennington Putnam Block project saw progress, uncertainty in 2017

  03-01-2018 02:38 via vtdigger.org
  A rendering from a redevelopment brochure for the Putnam Block project in downtown Bennington.BENNINGTON — The $53 million Putnam Block project slowly built momentum during 2017, only to hit pause in December as investors waited to learn whether the Republican federal tax overhaul would decimate programs considered vital to the redevelopment plan.
  Business and institutional leaders began meeting two years ago to promote downtown development as a way to enhance the area’s economy. The
  
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• Rutland Regional Medical Center receives 5-star rating from Healthgrades for three procedures

  03-01-2018 02:28 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Rutland Regional Medical CenterDecember 29, 2017
  Media Contact:Peg Bolgioni, Marketing & Public Relations 802.772.2843 or [email protected]
  Rutland, VT – – Rutland Regional Medical Center announced that it has achieved a 5 Star rating for its performance in Total Knee Replacement, Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and Gall Bladder Surgery from Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospi
  
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• Gov. Phil Scott seeks applicants for DMV commissioner

  03-01-2018 02:24 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Gov. Phil ScottFriday, December 29, 2017
  Contact:Rebecca [email protected]
  Montpelier, VT. – Governor Phil Scott is seeking interested and qualified applicants for Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
  The Commissioner will be charged with improving customer service and reducing the administrative burden, and costs, on Vermonters. This work would include, but not be limited to, digitizing and simplifying paper processes. The
  
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• Richard Slusky: Containing health care costs

  03-01-2018 02:15 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Richard Slusky of South Burlington. He is a retired CEO of 28 years of Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center, retired director of payment reform for the Department of Vermont Health Access. Slusky has served on boards and committees of the Vermont Hospital Association and the American Hospital Association. He currently serves on the Vermont Information Technology board of directors, and is a lifetime fellow in the American College of Health Care Exec
  
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• Amelia Shea: Stewarding Vermont’s nuclear site

  03-01-2018 02:11 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Amelia Shea, of Brattleboro, who serves on the board of the New England Coalition and has worked at Green Living Journal since 1991.
  Paul Hawken, the author of the Ecology of Commerce, has written that the planet came with a manual of operating instructions which we seem to have lost. The instructions included: Don’t contaminate the soil or poison the water and the air, watch for overpopulation, and don’t turn up the thermostat.
  There has be
  
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• Chloe Learey: Why should business care about early childhood?

  03-01-2018 02:09 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Chloe Learey, the executive director of Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development in Brattleboro. She serves on the Building Bright Futures State Advisory Council, a governor-appointed body which advises the administration and Legislature on early childhood care, health and education systems.
  Two reasons: (1) Your ability to hire excellent employees, both now and in the future, depends on it; and (2) your local, regional and state economy w
  
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• Bills to watch: Mental health, primary care and insurance mandate draw focus

  03-01-2018 02:05 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Claire Ayer, D-Addison, chair of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, and Rep. Bill Lippert, D-Hinesburg, chair of the House Health Care Committee, listen to testimony. File photo by Erin Mansfield/VTDigger
  Several big health care questions are looming in this year’s legislative session, but lawmakers acknowledge they’re still working on answers.
  Major issues that health care committee leaders have identified include how to improve the state’s mental health services; w
  
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• Program to promote renewable energy gets new scrutiny

  03-01-2018 01:24 via vtdigger.org
  More than 50 people took a Green Mountain Power tour of Kingdom Community Wind project,Vermont’s largest capacity renewable energy project on Wednesday, July 3, 2013.Photo by Andrew Stein/VTDigger
  A program meant to spur renewable-energy development is receiving scrutiny from the state’s top energy regulators, following the Public Utility Commission’s end-of-the-year order calling for a review of Vermont’s “standard offer” program.
  Supporters of the program sa
  
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• Inside the Golden Bubble: 2018 legislative session will be contentious

  03-01-2018 00:51 via vtdigger.org
  Senate President Pro Tem Tim Ashe, along with Gov. Phil Scott, left, and House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, right, announce the budget deal reached between the Legislature and the administration last spring. File photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerYou know the saying: Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.Lawmakers in the Vermont House and Senate have taken that lesson to heart after last year’s messy battle with Gov. Phil Scott over teacher health care. House Speaker Mitzi Johnson
  
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• LISTEN: Burlington Songwriter Releases Single To Help Puerto Rico's Hurricane Recovery dlvr.it/Q8cq9N https://t.co/NSCBSvDIPc

  03-01-2018 00:23 via twitter.com
  
  LISTEN: Burlington Songwriter Releases Single To Help Puerto Rico's Hurricane Recovery dlvr.it/Q8cq9N https://t.co/NSCBSvDIPc
  
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• Burlington Songwriter Releases Single To Help Puerto Rico's Hurricane Recovery dlvr.it/Q8cpzv https://t.co/fyhw5QsUJw

  03-01-2018 00:23 via twitter.com
  
  Burlington Songwriter Releases Single To Help Puerto Rico's Hurricane Recovery dlvr.it/Q8cpzv https://t.co/fyhw5QsUJw
  
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• Fell death penalty case back in court; 3-day hearing set this week

  03-01-2018 00:10 via vtdigger.org
  The U.S. District Court and post office building on West Street in Rutland. Photo by Andrew Kutches/VTDigger
  RUTLAND – The judge in the federal death penalty case against Donald Fell has set a three-day hearing this week to hear from lawyers about the reliability of statements from a deceased co-defendant who was labeled mentally ill and too impaired the night of their crime spree to remember what happened.
  The government wants to use statements made to police by Robert Lee shortly after h
  
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