Vermont news

• Senate wants scrutiny for mental health orders

  27-02-2018 23:38 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Dick McCormack, D-Windsor, is on theHealth and Welfare Committee. Photo by Roger Crowley/for VTDigger
  In Vermont, mandatory mental health treatment doesn’t happen only within hospital walls.
  But the state’s system for “nonhospitalization” treatment orders has attracted criticism in recent years, with some arguing it is poorly coordinated and ineffective.
  The Vermont Senate on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a bill that could begin to address such concerns. S.203
  
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• LISTEN: Cartoonist Alison Bechdel Takes You On A Tour Of Her 'Inappropriately Intimate' Comics… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

  27-02-2018 21:35 via twitter.com
  LISTEN: Cartoonist Alison Bechdel Takes You On A Tour Of Her 'Inappropriately Intimate' Comics… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
  
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• Cartoonist Alison Bechdel Takes You On A Tour Of Her 'Inappropriately Intimate' Comics dlvr.it/QJ4MsM https://t.co/86MCx2m733

  27-02-2018 21:14 via twitter.com
  
  Cartoonist Alison Bechdel Takes You On A Tour Of Her 'Inappropriately Intimate' Comics dlvr.it/QJ4MsM https://t.co/86MCx2m733
  
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• Randolph Union High School students will join March for Our Lives Rally in Washington

  27-02-2018 18:16 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Randolph Union High SchoolFeb. 24, 2018
  Contacts:Carol [email protected]
  Deb [email protected]
  Elijah [email protected]
  Mary Kay [email protected]
  Natalie Strand10th grade student802-728-9364
  RANDOLPH – A delegation of students from Randolph Union High School are making the trip to Washington DC to participate in the March for Our Lives rally, inspire
  
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• Vermont College of Fine Arts and Vermont Studio Center announce Alumnx Exhibition

  27-02-2018 18:07 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — VCFAFeb. 26, 2018
  Contact:Tim [email protected]
  Montpelier, Vt.—Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) and the Vermont Studio Center (VSC) are proud to announce an upcoming all-alumnx exhibition to take place in May 2018. Alumnx of VCFA and VSC are invited to submit work to include in a group show juried by Meg Onli, the Assistant Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania.
  Alumnx is a gender-neutral term that embrac
  
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• Vermont to receive $140,000 from Merrill Lynch and agent for unauthorized actions

  27-02-2018 18:03 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Department of Financial RegulationFeb. 22, 2018
  Contact:Stephanie Brackin, Information Management Officer, 802-828-4872
  Customer spurs investigation with complaint, receives full restitution
  MONTPELIER, VT – The State of Vermont will receive $140,000 from Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (Merrill Lynch) and Lawrence K. Barber as a result of a Department of Financial Regulation investigation. Commissioner Michael S. Pieciak announced today that Mer
  
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• Gov. Phil Scott’s public schedule Feb. 24-March 2, 2018

  27-02-2018 17:55 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Office of the GovernorFeb. 23, 2018
  Contact:Ethan [email protected]
  Governor Phil Scott’s Public Schedule: 2/24/18 – 3/2/18
  Saturday, February 24
  Attending the National Governors Association Winter Meeting
  Washington, DC
  Sunday, February 25
  Attending the National Governors Association Winter Meeting
  Washington, DC
  Monday, February 26
  No public events scheduled
  Tuesday, February 27
  7:30 – 7:45AM
  Interview on WVNR/WNYV
  Listen in the Middlebury, B
  
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• UVM again among Peace Corps’ top volunteer-producing colleges

  27-02-2018 17:37 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — UVMFebruary 22, 2018
  Contact:Jeffrey [email protected]
  The University of Vermont is ranked No. 7 among medium-sized schools on the Peace Corps 2018 list of top volunteer-producing colleges and universities.There are 28 UVM alumni currently serving worldwide.
  This is the tenth consecutive year that UVM has ranked among the top 25 medium-sized schools.
  “I’m very proud of UVM’s high rank, year in and year out, on the Peace Corp’s list of
  
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• Southern Vermont College to honor Snap-on chairman and CEO at commencement

  27-02-2018 17:34 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Southern Vermont CollegeFebruary 22, 2018
  Contact:Marion Whiteford, SVC Communications, 802-447-6388, [email protected]
  (BENNINGTON, Vt.)—Southern Vermont College will honor Nicholas T. Pinchuk, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Snap-on Incorporated, at the College’s 91st Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 12.
  In April 2007, Pinchuk became president and chief operating officer, as well as a member of the board of directors, at Snap-on Incorporated
  
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• Alliance of Vermont School Board Members moves conference to March 17

  27-02-2018 17:30 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Alliance of Vermont School Board MembersFeb. 22, 2018
  Contact:David Schoales ([email protected])
  Jack Bryar ([email protected])
  The Alliance of Vermont School Board Members, (AVSBM) a statewide association of elected and former school board members and supporters, announced that the planned Conference of School Boards and SUs affected by Act 46 that was originally scheduled to take place on February 24, is being postponed until March 17, 2018. The meeting will take place at
  
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• Vermont State Police announce promotion of Maj. John Merrigan

  27-02-2018 17:25 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont State PoliceFeb. 23, 2018
  Contact:Bosma, [email protected]
  Waterbury, VT – 02/23/18 – Thomas D. Anderson, Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety and Colonel Matthew T. Birmingham, Director of the Vermont State Police, are pleased to announce the promotion of John P. Merrigan to the rank of Major. Major Merrigan of Brattleboro was promoted from Captain, Commander of Special Investigations, where he has served since 2016. His new assignmen
  
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• Vermont mayors respond to Scott and legislators’ support of commonsense gun reforms

  27-02-2018 17:20 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Mayor CoalitionFebruary 23, 2018
  Contact:Katie Vane802.734.0617
  Mayors Note Past and Current VMC Support for Universal Background Checks and Other Measures to Protect All Vermonters
  Montpelier, VT – Today, Vermont Mayors issued statements welcoming Governor Scott and legislators’ support of commonsense gun reforms. Since 2013, the Vermont Mayors Coalition has supported a number of proposed commonsense gun reforms to ensure the safety of all Vermonters. Th
  
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• Alfred Montoya moves from White River VA to direct Manchester VA

  27-02-2018 17:15 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Department of Veterans AffairsFeb. 23, 2018
  Contact:[email protected] Manchester VA
  [email protected] White River Junction VA
  Manchester and White River Junction VA Medical Centers Jointly Announce the Appointment of Alfred Montoya as Manchester VA Medical Center Director
  Appointment Ensures Continued Advances in Care, Collaboration and Services for Veterans
  MANCHESTER, NH– Today the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the appointment of U.S. Ai
  
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• Saint Michael’s College March/early April 2018 public events calendar

  27-02-2018 17:11 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Saint Michael’s CollegeFebruary 26, 2018
  Contact:Mark [email protected]
  Saint Michael’s College March/early April 2018 Public Events Calendar
  (Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.)
  In the McCarthy Art Center this month (open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.): Senior Art Exhibition: Danielle Valyou, “Dream Weaver,” on display February 26 through March 4 with a reception for this show on March 2 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in
  
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• Should #Vermont prisons open up access to #opioid addiction medications like suboxone or methadone to anyone who ne… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

  27-02-2018 15:13 via twitter.com
  Should #Vermont prisons open up access to #opioid addiction medications like suboxone or methadone to anyone who ne… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
  
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• Rutland Herald, Times Argus eliminate Pulitzer-prize winner’s position

  27-02-2018 11:56 via vtdigger.org
  David Moats, editorial page writer for the Rutland Herald and Times Argus. Screenshot from 2001 CSPAN videoThe Rutland Herald and Times Argus have eliminated the position of editorial page editor, and this week said good-bye to David Moats, an author who won a Pulitzer prize in 2001 for an editorial that advocated for the passage of civil unions legislation in Vermont.The general manager of the two newspapers, Rob Mitchell, said, in an internal email provided to VTDigger, that it was a business
  
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• Can Carina Driscoll ride an anti-Weinberger wave to City Hall?

  27-02-2018 04:17 via vtdigger.org
  Independent Carina Driscoll speaks at a Burlington candidates forum. Photo by Bob LoCicero/VTDigger
  This is the first in a series of profiles of Burlington’s three mayoral candidates running in the March 6 Town Meeting Day election.
  BURLINGTON — It’s tough to keep up with mayoral candidate Carina Driscoll as she hurries along Main Street. Fliers in hand, she’s stopping at every shop and restaurant, inviting owners and managers and employees to a listening session the next
  
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• Castleton University to stem $1.5M shortfall with layoffs

  27-02-2018 03:41 via vtdigger.org
  Faculty at Castleton University came back from the President’s Week break to news that about 10 percent of positions at the college will be cut by the end of the year.The positions are being eliminated to stem a $1.5 million loss in revenue.RELATED STORIESFederal court sends Fell death penalty case back to VermontLatest appeal denied on release of Poultney police shooting tapes
  Harry McEnerny, professor and chair of the Theater Arts Department, said he is concerned that the cuts will dispr
  
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• Castleton University layoffs to stem $1.5M

  27-02-2018 03:41 via vtdigger.org
  Faculty at Castleton University came back from the President’s Week break to news that about 10 percent of positions at the college will be cut by the end of the year.The positions are being eliminated to stem a $1.5 million loss in revenue.
  Harry McEnerny, professor and chair of the Theater Arts Department, said he is concerned that the cuts will disproportionately impact the arts and humanities as they have at other institutions of higher education in the state and across the nation.&ldq
  
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• New health care tech leader says staff is up to challenge

  27-02-2018 03:24 via vtdigger.org
  Mike Smith (left), interim president and CEO of VITL, listens on Monday as Chief Operating Officer Kristina Choquette presents reform plans to the Green Mountain Care Board. Photo by Mike Faher
  Mike Smith isn’t wasting any time in trying to turn around Vermont’s troubled health information exchange.
  Less than a week after starting work as the interim president and CEO at Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Smith appeared before the Green Mountain Care Board on Monday to explain p
  
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• New health care exchange leader says staff is up to challenge

  27-02-2018 03:24 via vtdigger.org
  Mike Smith (left), interim president and CEO of VITL, listens on Monday as Chief Operating Officer Kristina Choquette presents reform plans to the Green Mountain Care Board. Photo by Mike Faher
  Mike Smith isn’t wasting any time in trying to turn around Vermont’s troubled health information exchange.
  Less than a week after starting work as the interim president and CEO at Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Smith appeared before the Green Mountain Care Board on Monday to explain p
  
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• Ex-student accused of foiled school shooting ‘overcharged,’ public defender says

  27-02-2018 02:45 via vtdigger.org
  Jack Sawyer, 18, appears in Vermont Superior Court in Rutland on Friday. Pool photo by Ryan Mercer/Burlington Free Press
  The head of the state’s public defender’s office says he believes the 18-year-old former Fair Haven high student accused in a thwarted school shooting plot has been “overcharged” by prosecutors.
  Jack Sawyer, 18, of Poultney, will be making his first court appearance this week since his arraignment earlier this month on four felony offenses. The charges
  
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• Mass. man denies lewd conduct with 11-year-old at ski resort

  27-02-2018 02:42 via vtdigger.org
  A 29-year-old Massachusetts man has denied a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child in an incident that police say occurred while he was vacationing with his girlfriend and her children at Vermont’s Jay Peak Resort.
  Vermont State Police say James Henderson of Peabody, Massachusetts, was arrested early Saturday, shortly after the incident in a rented condo at the resort.
  Henderson pleaded not guilty to the charge at his arraignment Monday in the criminal division of the Vermont
  
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• Mass. man denies lewd conduct with 11-year-old

  27-02-2018 02:42 via vtdigger.org
  A 29-year-old Massachusetts man has denied a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child in an incident that police say occurred while he was vacationing with his girlfriend and her children at Vermont’s Jay Peak Resort.
  Vermont State Police say James Henderson of Peabody, Massachusetts, was arrested early Saturday, shortly after the incident in a rented condo at the resort.
  Henderson pleaded not guilty to the charge at his arraignment Monday in the criminal division of the Vermont
  
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• Protests continue as UVM leaders announce new diversity plans

  27-02-2018 02:00 via vtdigger.org
  Students pack the Waterman building at UVM in ongoing protests in response to racially-charged postings at the university. Photo by Cory Dawson/VTDigger.
  BURLINGTON — University of Vermont students walked out of classes and flooded the halls of Waterman, the university’s main administrative building Monday, as part of sustained protests against what they say is a climate of racial injustice at the school.
  The campus protests have been ongoing since last week. They were sparked by the
  
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• Protests continue as UVM administration announces new diversity plans

  27-02-2018 02:00 via vtdigger.org
  Students pack the Waterman building at UVM in ongoing protests in response to racially-charged postings at the university. Photo by Cory Dawson/VTDigger.
  BURLINGTON — University of Vermont students walked out of classes and flooded the halls of Waterman, the university’s main administrative building Monday, as part of sustained protests against what they say is a climate of racial injustice at the school.
  The campus protests have been ongoing since last week. They were sparked by the
  
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• Flow of illegal liquor from New Hampshire cited in rules review

  27-02-2018 01:08 via vtdigger.org
  Patrick Delaney, commissioner of the Department of Liquor Control. File photo by Bob LoCicero/VTDigger
  As New Hampshire confronts the problem of questionable sales of its liquor, including millions of dollars worth of Hennessy cognac and other high-value spirits, Vermont’s Department of Liquor Control has recommended increasing the fine for those caught illegally importing spirits.Liquor Control Commissioner Patrick Delaney has sent legislators a list of 39 suggested changes to Title 7, wh
  
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• David Ellenbogen: Not the time for an electric vehicle fee

  27-02-2018 01:05 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by David Ellenbogen, who is a member of the Vermont Sierra Club’s executive committee and serves on its energy committee. In 2014 he completed a certificate of graduate study in ecological economics at UVM’s Gund Institute.
  For the third year in a row, there are proposals from elected officials that would attach new fees to electric vehicle ownership. Electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are an important part of Vermont&
  
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• Elizabeth Courtney: The state’s parking lot

  27-02-2018 01:00 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Elizabeth Courtney, an author and environmental consultant who is former chair of the Environmental Board and former executive director of the Vermont Natural Resources Council. She is a volunteer staff at the Sustainable Montpelier Coalition. She can be contacted at [email protected]. A version of this was first published in the Times Argus-Rutland Herald.
  Who is alpha dog in the capital city? The economic, environmental and energy future o
  
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• Ernie Pomerleau: Support for the F-35

  27-02-2018 00:55 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Ernie Pomerleau, a developer in Burlington.
  In 18 months, when the first F-35 lands at the Burlington International Airport, the community, my family and I are going to proudly stand up and cheer. We are going to honor the men and women of the Vermont Air National Guard and this great accomplishment. It will be a fantastic day and a well-earned honor.
  The Burlington City Council gave the go-ahead four years ago and we all need to uphold the integrity of
  
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• Angela Manno: Opposition to the F-35

  27-02-2018 00:50 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Angela Manno, of Burlington, who is a visual artist and art instructor.
  There are so many reasons to prevent the nuclear capable F-35 stealth bomber from being based at the Burlington municipal airport in a densely populated area.
  But the one that terrifies me the most is the risk of contamination to our air, water, soil and our own bodies.
  First is that even without a crash, we would be at risk for all the mishaps, leaks and spills associated with mili
  
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• Contract talks belong behind closed doors, Vermont high court rules

  27-02-2018 00:29 via vtdigger.org
  Vermont Supreme Court at 111 State St., Montpelier. File photo by Bob LoCicero/VTDigger
  Vermont’s open meeting law does not apply to bargaining sessions between teachers and school boards, because the the sessions are not meetings, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled on Friday.
  Teachers’ unions and school boards and administrators all welcomed the decision, saying it provides clarity after years of confusion and several conflicting rulings.
  Collective bargaining sessions typically have b
  
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• Updated: Burlington bar shooter charged; victim recovering

  27-02-2018 00:10 via vtdigger.org
  BURLINGTON — Authorities have charged and detained a man who shot a gun into a crowd outside a bar in the early morning hours of Monday, seriously injuring a woman.
  Police on bar patrol heard the gunshots as bars were letting out around 2 a.m. Witnesses saw the man, who police later identified as Rashad Nashid, 38, fire two shots into a crowd in front of Nectar’s, according to a news release from the Burlington Police Department.
  The 26-year-old victim is being treated at UVM Medical
  
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