Vermont news

• Interim state’s attorney rescinds plea offers made by predecessor

  17-01-2018 23:49 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott swears in Rory Thibault as interim Washington County state’s attorney last week. File photo courtesy of Scott’s office
  The interim state’s attorney for Washington County says plea offers to settle cases made by his predecessor, Scott Williams, are no longer valid.
  Rory Thibault, who was appointed last week after Williams resigned, has sent a letter to defense lawyers telling them he is rescinding pending offers.
  “Initial review of pending cases has reveale
  
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• Vt. mourns the death of Tim O’Connor, ‘a gentle soul’

  17-01-2018 23:26 via vtdigger.org
  Tim O’Connor, the first Democratic Speaker of the House in the modern era, died Tuesday. This file photo from the Brattleboro Reformer was taken in his office in 2011.
  (This story by Bob Audette first appeared in the Brattleboro Reformer.)
  By all accounts, Timothy J. O’Connor Jr. was kind, fair, amicable, no-nonsense, intelligent and witty.
  The list of adjectives does not end there, but suffice it to say, Brattleboro, Windham County and Vermont are all the better because of O’C
  
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• UPDATED: Robbery suspect killed in Montpelier standoff armed with BB gun

  17-01-2018 23:26 via vtdigger.org
  Montpelier High School was placed on lockdown Tuesday during a standoff with an armed robbery suspect. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
  Vermont State Police say that a pistol a man displayed during a standoff Tuesday on a field at Montpelier High School, prompting nine officers to open fire and kill him, was a BB gun.
  A day after the shooting, police said Wednesday their investigation has identified the silver handgun Nathan Giffin, 32, of Essex, was holding at the time he was fatally shot was a
  
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• Police: Robbery suspect killed in Montpelier standoff armed with BB gun

  17-01-2018 23:26 via vtdigger.org
  Vermont State Police say that a pistol a man displayed during a standoff Tuesday on a field at Montpelier High School, prompting nine officers to open fire and kill him, was a BB gun.
  A day after the shooting, police said Wednesday their investigation has identified the handgun Nathan Giffin, 32, of Essex, was holding at the time he was fatally shot as a Umarex 40XP BB pistol.RELATED STORIESUPDATED: Suspect dead after credit union robbery, standoff at Montpelier High School
  Police say Giffin had
  
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• Lauding Tim O’Connor, a public servant extraordinaire

  17-01-2018 23:26 via vtdigger.org
  Tim O’Connor, the first Democratic Speaker of the House in the modern era, died Tuesday. This file photo from the Brattleboro Reformer was taken in his office in 2011.
  (This story by Bob Audette first appeared in the Brattleboro Reformer.)
  By all accounts, Timothy J. O’Connor Jr. was kind, fair, amicable, no-nonsense, intelligent and witty.
  The list of adjectives does not end there, but suffice it to say, Brattleboro, Windham County and Vermont are all the better because of O’C
  
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• Former Vermont House Speaker Timothy O’Connor Jr. dies at 81

  17-01-2018 23:26 via vtdigger.org
  Tim O’Connor, the first Democratic Speaker of the House in the modern era, died Tuesday. This file photo from the Brattleboro Reformer was taken in his office in 2011.
  This story by Bob Audette first appeared in the Brattleboro Reformer
  By all accounts, Timothy J. O’Connor Jr. was kind, fair, amicable, no-nonsense, intelligent and witty.
  The list of adjectives does not end there, but suffice it to say, Brattleboro, Windham County and Vermont are all the better because of O’Conn
  
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• Before Your Time: Selling Vermont

  17-01-2018 22:34 via vtdigger.org
  If you ride up Mount Mansfield today, you’ll probably take a “quad,” a sturdy chairlift that holds four people. Or maybe you’ll pack eight companions into a fully enclosed gondola. But the revolutionary design that helped the ski resort industry take off was comparably modest: It held just one rider at a time.
  The original single chair from Mount Mansfield was once the longest, highest chairlift in the eastern U.S. By today’s standards, it was woefully inefficient.
  
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• Amid heightened need, another homeless shelter opens in Burlington

  17-01-2018 22:32 via vtdigger.org
  Jan Demers, executive director of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, speaks at a news conference about Burlington’s growing homeless population.
  BURLINGTON — A bitterly cold winter is intensifying Burlington’s need for more beds and shelters for homeless people, advocates say.Spectrum Youth and Family Services recently opened Burlington’s newest 10-bed shelter, in the basement of St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral on Allen Street in Burlington. The shelter
  
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• State revises plan to deposit PFOA-laced soils

  17-01-2018 21:39 via vtdigger.org
  BENNINGTON — Citing neighborhood opposition, state environmental officials have formally backed off a plan to dump PFOA-contaminated soil in the Route 279 right-of-way corridor.
  The excess soil — up to 44,000 cubic yards of it — comes from ongoing projects to extend municipal water lines to properties where the water supply is contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid.
  A state Department of Environmental Conservation notice posted Jan. 8 said that comments from residents at a Se
  
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• Burlington School Board weighs cuts to ease projected tax hike

  17-01-2018 21:21 via vtdigger.org
  Yaw Obeng, the superintendent of the Burlington School District. File photo by Jess Wisloski/VTDiggerBURLINGTON — The city school board is going down to the wire with voting on a budget after a three-hour special meeting where district leaders outlined ways to trim their initial $84.1 million proposal.
  Superintendent of Schools Yaw Obeng and Finance Director Nathan Lavery presented a revised proposal Tuesday night with cuts to teaching staff and some sports that would save $500,000. Their
  
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• LISTEN: A New Plan Could Reshape Both Mental Health And Corrections In Vermont dlvr.it/QBf94L https://t.co/ygNZAiT7wY

  17-01-2018 21:11 via twitter.com
  
  LISTEN: A New Plan Could Reshape Both Mental Health And Corrections In Vermont dlvr.it/QBf94L https://t.co/ygNZAiT7wY
  
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• Leahy, colleagues urge DOJ to require China-controlled media operating in the US. to register as foreign agents

  17-01-2018 19:39 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Sen. Patrick LeahyJan. 16, 2018
  Contact:[email protected]
  WASHINGTON (TUESDAY, Jan. 16, 2018) — U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Marco Rubio (D-Fla.) today led a bipartisan group of senators in urging Attorney General Jeff Sessions to detail the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) efforts requiring Chinese state-controlled media outlets operating in the U.S. to register as foreign agents. All of the signatories serve on either the Senate Judiciary Com
  
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• Community responds generously to Capstone’s Fuel Your Neighbors initiative

  17-01-2018 19:15 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Capstone Community ActionJan. 16, 2018
  Contact:Yvonne Lory, Capstone Community ActionPhone: (802) 479-1053Email: [email protected]
  Community Responds Generously to Capstone’s Fuel Your Neighbors Initiative to Provide Emergency Food and Heating Assistance to Vulnerable Central Vermonters. National Life Group Challenges Others to Get Involved
  (BARRE, VT) In less than two months, the Fuel Your Neighbors campaign has raised nearly $70,000 in donations and match commitme
  
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• Norwich University promotes Kathleen Murphy-Moriarty to VP of Communications

  17-01-2018 19:09 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Norwich UniversityJan. 16, 2018
  Contact:Daphne [email protected] us on Twitter @NorwichNews
  NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Norwich University President Richard W. Schneider announced the promotion of Kathleen Murphy-Moriarty to Vice President of Communications beginning Jan. 1, 2018.
  Murphy-Moriarty has led Norwich University’s Office of Communications since August 2013, when she was hired as Director of Communications and Marketing. She had previous
  
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• Howard Center welcomes new board members and elects officers

  17-01-2018 19:07 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Howard CenterJanuary 16, 2018
  Contact:Martie Majoros(802) [email protected]
  Burlington, VT— Howard Center recently appointed Hillary Orsini and Thato Ratsebe to serve on its Board of Trustees for three-year terms.
  Orsini has extensive experience in organizational development and is a Program Manager at Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. She is an active volunteer and serves on the boards of several local non-profit organizations. She
  
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• Mercy Connections executive director Dolly Fleming to retire

  17-01-2018 19:00 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Mercy ConnectionsJanuary 10, 2018
  Contact:Marissa Strayer-BentonDirector of Communications and [email protected]
  BURLINGTON, Vermont – John Bossange, Chair of the Mercy Connections Board of Directors, today announced that Dolly Fleming, the nonprofit’s Executive Director for the last seven years, will be retiring July 1 of this year. In a statement to donors, volunteers, and other members of the Board, Bossange said, &ldqu
  
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• Sanders will vote no on surveillance program reauthorization

  17-01-2018 17:53 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Sen. Bernie SandersJan. 16, 2018
  Contact:[email protected]
  WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement ahead of a vote in the Senate Tuesday to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act:
  “Clearly, we must do everything we can to protect our country from the serious potential of another terrorist attack, but we can and must do so in a way that protects the constitutional rights of the A
  
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• The Skinny Pancake pledges to be Nutella-free in their annual oath of action

  17-01-2018 17:49 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — The Skinny PancakeJan. 16, 2018
  Contact:Michael Cyr, Director of MarketingThe Skinny [email protected]
  In 2017, The Skinny Pancake introduced an annual Oath of Action initiative in collaboration with 1% For the Planet, a Burlington based environmental non-profit. The initiative went viral with worldwide engagement and over 4 million social media impressions (#OathOfAction). On January 20th, 2018, the Skinny Pancake will be announcing our Oath Of Ac
  
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• Leahy arranging for donation of 25 U.S. Senate surplus computers to Vermont classrooms

  17-01-2018 17:41 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Sen. Patrick LeahyJan. 16, 2018
  Press Contact:David Carle(202) 224-3693
  Program provides Senate computers for high need schools.
  (TUESDAY, January 16, 2018) – Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has arranged for a shipment of 25 surplus computers to five Vermont Schools through the U.S. Senate’s Computers for Schools programs. Overseen by the Senate’s Sergeant At Arms, the program was established to offer surplus computers to classrooms across the country.
  Leahy
  
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• Weinstein story-breaking journalist Jodi Kantor speaks in Vermont on Feb. 6

  17-01-2018 17:36 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Community FoundationJanuary 16, 2018
  Media Contact:Paige PiersonVermont Community Foundation802-388-3355 ext. [email protected]
  Suggested Tweet:#Weinstein story-breaking @nytimes investigative journalist @jodikantor speaks in #Burlington on Feb 6 about #sexualharassment & the impact of journalism on our culture. Tickets & more info at: vermontcf.org/JodiKantor
  New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor will speak at the UVM Davis Center on February 6, 2018
  
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• Vermont Federal Credit Union named a VHFA top performer in 2017

  17-01-2018 17:29 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Federal Credit UnionJan. 16, 2018
  Contact:Kylie J. PerryMarketing StrategistVermont Federal Credit Union(802) 923-1322, (888) 252-0202 Ext. [email protected]
  Burlington, VT – Vermont Federal Credit Union was named the top credit union performer of 2017 with staff member Patricia Boyce ranked as the top credit union Mortgage Originator.
  VHFA’s Top Performers recognizes organizations and individuals who had the highest VHFA production from Janua
  
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• Gov. Phil Scott appoints 24 to boards and commissions in December

  17-01-2018 17:23 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Office of the GovernorTuesday, January 16, 2018
  Contact:Rebecca Kelley, Office of the Governor802-828-6403, [email protected]
  Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of 24 Vermonters to State boards and commissions, made in the month of December.
  Boards and commissions serve an important role in state government, giving Vermonters numerous opportunities to serve their state and communities. The Governor’s office is currently
  
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• Bennington Selectboard denies raise for town manager

  17-01-2018 17:03 via vtdigger.org
  Stuart Hurd, the town manager of Bennington. Courtesy photo
  (This story by Ed Damon was published in the Bennington Banner on Jan. 17, 2018.)
  BENNINGTON — For the first time in at least four years, the Selectboard has voted against giving Town Manager Stuart Hurd a raise.
  The decision was made during the board’s budget work session Saturday, five days after Hurd made a public apology before the board for moving forward with the construction of a new salt shed without waiting for the
  
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• Auditor to investigate role of state officials in EB-5 scandal

  17-01-2018 16:55 via vtdigger.org
  Doug Hoffer, Vermont state auditor. File photo by Anne Galloway/VTDigger
  Vermont State Auditor Doug Hoffer told a Senate panel he wants to tell a story about the EB-5 scandal that played out in the mountains of the Northeast Kingdom from a perspective that he says hasn’t yet been covered.
  “What did they know, when did they know it, how did they respond?” he said of state employees, officials and appointees. “What we don’t know is how particular officials responded a
  
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• A New Plan Could Reshape Both Mental Health And Corrections In Vermont dlvr.it/QBbxRf https://t.co/mGRtHilJMQ

  17-01-2018 15:43 via twitter.com
  
  A New Plan Could Reshape Both Mental Health And Corrections In Vermont dlvr.it/QBbxRf https://t.co/mGRtHilJMQ
  
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• Panel backs saliva testing to screen for driver marijuana impairment

  17-01-2018 11:24 via vtdigger.org
  Tom Anderson, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerA commission empaneled by the governor to advise him on issues related to marijuana legalization is advocating for legislation to allow law enforcement officers to use saliva testing to detect the presence of drugs in motorists.
  The recommendation was one of several discussed at a Governor’s Marijuana Advisory Commission meeting Tuesday morning at the Statehouse, and also included in the panel&rs
  
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• Former Speaker of the House Tim O’Connor dies at 81

  17-01-2018 11:01 via vtdigger.org
  Tim O’Connor, the first Democratic Speaker of the House in the modern era, died Tuesday. This file photo from the Brattleboro Reformer was taken in his office in 2011.
  BRATTLEBORO — The man who wielded the gavel as Town Moderator at Brattleboro Town Meeting for more than two decades has died.
  During Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, board member John Allen announced that Tim O’Connor died at 1:30 on Tuesday afternoon.
  “I have some very sad news,” Allen said at t
  
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• Welch backs Trump censure, while activists want more

  17-01-2018 03:10 via vtdigger.org
  A group called Vermonters for Unity calls on Rep. Peter Welch to support advancing articles of impeachment against the president. Photo by Cory Dawson/VTDigger
  BURLINGTON — Under pressure from some constituents to join a renewed effort to impeach the president, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said he supports at least censuring him.
  The catalyst for the latest impeachment effort was President Donald Trump’s incendiary comments about immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and Africa.
  Rep. Al Gre
  
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• Homeland Security chief ‘did not hear’ vulgarity from Trump

  17-01-2018 02:09 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., has an aide display a headline about President Donald Trump’s reported comments while the senator questions Homeland Security Acting Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Tuesday. Photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDiggerWASHINGTON — A Trump administration official testified in a Senate committee Tuesday that she did not hear the president use the term “shithole” to describe Haiti, El Salvador and African countries during a meeting on immigration.
  Trump uttere
  
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• Outdoor Gear Exchange expanding, no big tenants likely set for Macy’s space

  17-01-2018 01:34 via vtdigger.org
  ThePanera Bread space on Church Street in Burlington, which is about to be taken over by its neighbor and landlord, Outdoor Gear Exchange.
  BURLINGTON — Venerable Church Street retailer Outdoor Gear Exchange will be expanding into the Panera Bread space after the national bakery-cafe chain decided to close its downtown store.Outdoor Gear Exchange announced the decision to expand in a news release Thursday. The company, which has been in Burlington since 1995, owns its storefront building fa
  
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• Elayne Clift: What the #MeToo movement can teach us

  17-01-2018 01:05 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Elayne Clift, who writes about women, culture and social issues from Saxtons River.
  It’s been some time since the Harvey Weinstein revelations opened the floodgates of personal stories about sexual harassment and assault. Still, women’s stories keep coming, and so they should. We must bear witness if things are going to change, not only in the halls of Hollywood studios and Capitol Hill offices, but everywhere that people live, work and carr
  
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• Jeb Spaulding: Vermont’s college affordability problem

  17-01-2018 01:00 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Jeb Spaulding, the chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges System.
  The Vermont State Colleges System is a major workforce pipeline delivering entrepreneurs and workers to power our state’s economy. As a system, Castleton University, Community College of Vermont, Northern Vermont University – Johnson and Lyndon, and Vermont Technical College annually confer 60 percent of all the bachelor’s and associate degrees awarded in the state to
  
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• Ellen Schwartz: Health care solutions must address root causes of crisis

  17-01-2018 00:55 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Ellen Schwartz, of Brattleboro, who is the president of the Vermont Workers’ Center.
  As the Vermont Legislature opened recently, the full weight of Republican attacks on our public health care systems was laid bare for legislators and the public.
  Due to federal cuts, health care for low-income children is at risk of being defunded, and our federally qualified health centers stand to lose millions of dollars in funding. Vermont’s free clinics
  
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• No-strike bill fails to advance in Senate Education Committee

  17-01-2018 00:35 via vtdigger.org
  Burlington teachers picket in front of the high school last fall. File photo by Bob LoCicero/VTDigger
  A bill that would have prohibited teacher strikes and prevented school boards from imposing contract terms was shelved Tuesday by the Senate Committee on Education.
  The bill, S.157, also would have required that collective bargaining occur in public.
  The vote to drop the legislation was 4-2, with Democrats against the bill and Republicans supporting it. Sen. Joe Benning, R-Caledonia, sponsored t
  
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• New posters at UVM draw fire as ‘racist’

  17-01-2018 00:12 via vtdigger.org
  One of seven posters found on the University of Vermont campus that appeared to be directed at immigrants and were deemed “offensive and racist by university officials.
  On the first day of the semester Tuesday,seven anti-immigration posters that University of Vermont officials deemed “offensive and racist” were hung around the central green on the Burlington campus.
  The posters pictured three different people of color with the words: “Stop importing problems, stop exporti
  
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