Vermont news

• Winter road maintenance costs reach $3-4 million over budget

  10-03-2018 02:39 via vtdigger.org
  The state has 275 trucks mounted with front and wing plows during winter and deploys a small army of skilled drivers when foul weather rolls in. Photo by Andrew Nemethy
  Vermont’s spending on road maintenance for winter weather is between $3 million and $4 million over budget, according to the state’s Agency of Transportation.
  Inclement conditions this season, particularly a slew of freezing rain and sleet storms, have racked up unanticipated costs, Todd Law, the agency’s mainte
  
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• SLIDESHOW: Pelkey brings Olympic gold home to Montpelier

  10-03-2018 02:26 via vtdigger.org
  Olympic gold medal-winning hockey player Amanda Pelkey came home Friday, riding through Montpelier with a parade of young athletes and admirers.RELATED STORIESThe small Vermont town with a big Olympic tallyVermont ski pioneer John Caldwell retains Olympic spiritVermont ski legend lives on in Shiffrin’s Olympic questVermont ski jump conquers Olympic challengesVermont ski jump faces Olympic challenge
  With her team’s championship victory over Canada, Pelkey made history in Vermont&rsqu
  
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• Margolis: Love coyotes or hate them, should we make a contest of killing them?

  10-03-2018 02:23 via vtdigger.org
  A coyote in Yosemite National Park. Photo by Christopher Bruno/Wikimedia Commons
  Behold the coyote (Canis latrans) a creature of myth (a trickster in Amerindian folklore) and mystery (starting with how to pronounce it; accent on the first syllable and vocalize the ‘e, according to Wikipedia’s audio pronunciation guide).
  And now the object of a philosophical dilemma in Vermont.Get all of VTDigger's political news.You'll never miss a political story with our weekly headlines in your in
  
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• Love coyotes or hate them, should we make a contest of killing them?

  10-03-2018 02:23 via vtdigger.org
  A coyote in Yosemite National Park. Photo by Christopher Bruno/Wikimedia Commons
  Behold the coyote (Canis latrans) a creature of myth (a trickster in Amerindian folklore) and mystery (starting with how to pronounce it; accent on the first syllable and vocalize the ‘e, according to Wikipedia’s audio pronunciation guide).
  And now the object of a philosophical dilemma in Vermont.Get all of VTDigger's political news.You'll never miss a political story with our weekly headlines in your in
  
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• Welch leads effort to reform corn-based ethanol incentives

  10-03-2018 02:04 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., speaks at the annual Vermont Democrats fundraiser in Burlington on Nov. 9, 2017. Photo by Bob LoCicero/VTDigger
  WASHINGTON —Vermont’s sole member of the House of Representatives is leading an effort to curb the production and related environmental impacts of corn ethanol.
  Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., introduced legislation Thursday with Sen. Tom Udall, D-NM, aiming to reform national policies that incentivize the production of corn ethanol. It would instead incre
  
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• Towns tell state leaders to act on climate change. Are they listening?

  10-03-2018 01:37 via vtdigger.org
  The Vermont Climate Change Economy Council, kicking off a statewide series of public forums Wednesday night at Rutland’s Paramount Theatre, is set to travel to Brattleboro and Burlington. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/for VTDiggerResident of 35 towns in Vermont voted overwhelmingly to support this week of resolutions urging Vermont officials to halt construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure, commit to 90 percent renewable energy and ensure an equitable transition to renewable energy.
  
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• Harry Chen: Our corner of Uganda

  10-03-2018 01:05 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Dr. Harry Chen, the former commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health and a board certified emergency physician. He and his wife Anne Lezak are Peace Corps volunteers in Uganda.Last week was Peace Corps Week; as Peace Corps volunteers, it seemed fitting for us to assess how we’re measuring up to the three Peace Corps goals, which in summary are:Help people of interested countries to meet their need for trained men and women.Promote a better
  
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• Bob Stannard: Kids today

  10-03-2018 01:00 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Bob Stannard, an author, musician and former lobbyist. This piece first appeared in the Bennington Banner.
  It was just another beautiful, warm day filled with sunshine and good cheer. The kids arrived at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, like they did every day — but today was different. Today was Feb. 14 — Valentine’s Day — a day of love.
  The love, exchange of positive thoughts and good will lasted throu
  
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• Ben Mitchell: F-35 wrong for Vermont

  10-03-2018 00:55 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Ben Mitchell, of Bellows Falls, a Democratic Socialist who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House seat.Despite military intimidation, Burlington voters voted by 55 percent to send the F-35 to some other state. The controversial F-35 is scheduled to arrive in South Burlington in September 2019.
  But Burlington’s Town Meeting Day vote puts it squarely to the City Council to ask the Air Force to base the nuclear-capable F-35 somewhere
  
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• Man pleads in ‘crack-house’ case; still faces dead body charges

  10-03-2018 00:36 via vtdigger.org
  A Poultney man who is facing state charges for allegedly hiding the body of a woman who died of a drug overdose has pleaded guilty to a federal offense of allowing out-of-state dealers to set up shop in his residence.
  Wayne Oddo, 54, entered the guilty plea Friday in federal court in Burlington to breaking a law often referred to as the “crack-house statute,” according to federal prosecutors.
  His change of plea comes nearly a year after police found the body of Alexandra Rooker, 26,
  
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