Vermont news

• Jury rules in favor of UVM in gender discrimination suit

  25-04-2018 22:19 via vtdigger.org
  Waterman Building, University of Vermont. File photo by Bob LoCicero/VTDigger
  BURLINGTON — A Chittenden County Superior Court jury has ruled against a former computer specialist who sued the University of Vermont for gender discrimination.
  Cynthia Ruescher had filed suit in December 2014, alleging that managers at the school had retaliated against her after she had sought pay equal to that of her male colleagues.
  The judge in the case, Robert Mello, had dismissed the claim of unequal pay i
  
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• 'News & Brews': Where Dairy, Water And The Environment Converge dlvr.it/QQnMkn https://t.co/DHFFXTUCUM

  25-04-2018 22:15 via twitter.com
  
  'News & Brews': Where Dairy, Water And The Environment Converge dlvr.it/QQnMkn https://t.co/DHFFXTUCUM
  
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• Burlington Electric, US Fish and Wildlife Service celebrate World Fish Migration Day

  25-04-2018 20:36 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Burlington Electric DepartmentApril 24, 2018
  Contact:Mike Kanarick, Burlington Electric Department802-735-7962
  Nick Staats, US Fish and Wildlife Service802-879-5679
  Winooski – The Burlington Electric Department and the US Fish and Wildlife Service are encouraging the public to learn more about the importance of open rivers and migratory fish through a celebration of World Fish Migration Day taking place during an Open House at Burlington Electric’s Winooski
  
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• Rabbi pays $100 traffic ticket, criminal charge expected to be dropped

  25-04-2018 19:56 via vtdigger.org
  Rabbi Berl Fink, center, listens to his attorney Robert Appel in Orange County Superior Court in Chelsea last year. Photo by Geoff Hansen/Valley News
  A New York rabbi who police said failed to pull over his vehicle for a trooper for more than 4 miles, leading to him and his son being taken out of his car at gunpoint, paid a $100 traffic ticket with the expectation that the criminal charge against him will be dismissed.
  Robert Appel, the attorney representing Rabbi Berl Fink of Brooklyn, New York
  
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• Watch Your Speed: These Three Towns Issue A Quarter Of Vermont's Traffic Fines dlvr.it/QQmTRP https://t.co/MKXPPSz2Y8

  25-04-2018 19:27 via twitter.com
  
  Watch Your Speed: These Three Towns Issue A Quarter Of Vermont's Traffic Fines dlvr.it/QQmTRP https://t.co/MKXPPSz2Y8
  
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• Oxfam America CEO to speak at SIT commencement, May 12

  25-04-2018 18:05 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — SIT Graduate InstituteApril 24, 2018
  Contact:Kate [email protected]
  Brattleboro – Abby Maxman, CEO of Oxfam America and an alumna of School for International Training, will be the commencement speaker at SIT Graduate Institute on May 12, SIT announced today.
  Maxman has more than 25 years of experience in international humanitarian relief and development. She received a master’s degree in International Administration from SIT in 1995.
  “My ti
  
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• Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore to speak at Lyndon State College commencement

  25-04-2018 17:39 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Northern Vermont UniversityApril 24, 2018
  ContactSylvia [email protected]
  Lyndon — The Weather Channel meteorologist and Lyndon State College graduate Jim Cantore will speak May 20 at the college’s 106th commencement, at which about 265 associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees are expected to be conferred. The 11 a.m. ceremony will be held on the college’s soccer field.
  The event is free and open to the public,
  
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• National Life opens on-site health center for employees

  25-04-2018 17:33 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — National Life GroupApril 24, 2018
  Contact:Ross Sneyd, Corporate CommunicationsNational Life Group802-229-3866
  Montpelier – National Life Group opened a new on-site health center on Tuesday, becoming one of the first companies in Vermont to open a full-service health care facility for its employees.
  “At National Life, we care about our employees and their well being, not only when they’re sick, but when they’re healthy and trying to stay that way,&rdqu
  
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• Turn in unwanted prescription drugs on Take Back Day this Saturday

  25-04-2018 17:24 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Department of HealthApril 24, 2018
  Contacts:Vermont Department of HealthBen Truman802-863-7281
  Vermont Department of Public SafetyAdam Silverman802-241-5277
  Burlington – On Saturday, April 28, 2018, communities across Vermont will be participating in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day – setting up collection sites that offer a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Last year, Vermonters turne
  
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• Vermont author Jack Beatty speaks at Ex Libris Gala in Woodstock, April 29

  25-04-2018 17:18 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Norman Williams Public LibraryApril 24, 2018
  Contact:Meg Brazill, Director of TechnologyNorman Williams Public Library802-457-2295 ext [email protected]
  Woodstock — Jack Beatty will speak at Ex Libris Gala to benefit Norman Williams Public Library.
  Sunday, April 29Cocktail reception: 5:30 pm, Dinner: 6:30 pmWoodstock Inn & Resort14 The GreenWoodstock, VT 05091
  About Jack BeattyJack Beatty has been a Guggenheim Fellow, a Poynter Fellow in Journalism at
  
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• Bromley presents over $11,000 in “Mom’s Day Out” funds to Cancer Center at SVMC

  25-04-2018 17:04 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Southwestern Vermont Medical CenterApril 24, 2018
  Contact:Ashley Brenon JowettCommunications & Marketing SpecialistSouthwestern Vermont Medical [email protected]
  Peru – Bromley Mountain Ski Resort’s President Bill Cairns (left) presented $11,100 to President and CEO of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) Thomas A. Dee (right) on Friday, March 30, 2018, at Bromley. The donation—which was given in support of care at Southwester
  
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• VTDigger trustees challenge you!

  25-04-2018 17:00 via vtdigger.org
  Thanks to the VTDigger board of trustees, the next $5,00 raised will be matched on donations of $1,000 or less. Can you help us meet this challenge before April 30? So far, the board of trustees has matched $35,000 during our Spring Fund Drive and they are devoted to supporting VTDigger. (And, of course, if you want to give more than $1,000 we’re happy to accept that gift as well!)
  Check out this video to learn a little bit more about why they are supporting us. 
  We need to raise
  
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• House passes bill to simplify government for small businesses

  25-04-2018 17:00 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Office of the Speaker of the HouseApril 24, 2018
  Contact:Katherine LevasseurOffice of the Speaker of the [email protected]
  Montpelier – The Vermont House today gave unanimous approval to S.85, a bill that simplifies government for small businesses.
  “For years, many elected officials, citizens, and businesses have wanted a unified, user-friendly business registration system that incorporates state licenses and permits,” said Re
  
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• Ben Cohen: Statement relating to the pending toxics bill veto override vote

  25-04-2018 16:49 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Ben CohenApril 24, 2018
  Contact:Edward [email protected]
  Montpelier – It seems to me that kids ought to be able to play with their toys without having to worry about toxic chemicals that could make them sick. The same goes for people who take a drink of water from their faucet – they deserve to know that it’s not tainted with toxins.
  And that’s the idea behind the bill that was just vetoed by the governor. It would help families avoid ex
  
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• Update on the decommissioning of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant

  25-04-2018 16:42 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — General AssemblyApril 24, 2018
  Contact:Michael [email protected]
  Montpelier – The House Committee on Energy and Technology, House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development, House Committee on Natural Resources, Fish, and Wildlife and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy will hold a joint committee meeting to hear updates on the decommissioning of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, on Thursday, April 26, from 10:00 a.m. to
  
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• UPDATED: Sawyer case ‘hanging by a thread’ as judge lowers bail

  25-04-2018 16:29 via vtdigger.org
  Jack Sawyer, of Poultney, talks with his defense attorneys Marshall Pahl, center, and Kelly Green, right, in Rutland criminal court during his bail review hearing Wednesday morning April 25, 2018. Pool photo by Robert Layman/Rutland Herald
  RUTLAND – A Rutland judge on Wednesday lowered bail for Jack Sawyer, the 18-year-old accused by police of plotting an attack on his former high school in Fair Haven.
  The bail ruling had been anticipated since last week when prosecutors dropped the most s
  
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• Sawyer remains held after bail lowered to $10,000

  25-04-2018 16:29 via vtdigger.org
  Jack Sawyer, 18, of Poultney appears in Vermont Superior Court in Rutland on April 17. Pool photo by Ryan Mercer/Burlington Free PressA Rutland judge lowered bail Wednesday to $10,000 for an 18-year-old Poultney man accused by police of planning to shoot up his former high school in Fair Haven.If released, Jack Sawyer plans to go to the Brattleboro Retreat, or another similar facility, to receive inpatient psychiatric care, Kelly Green, a public defender representing him, said in court Wednesday
  
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• LISTEN: For The Love Of Wisdom: Why Philosophy Still Matters Today dlvr.it/QQkVyv https://t.co/bFv1SRtidJ

  25-04-2018 15:39 via twitter.com
  
  LISTEN: For The Love Of Wisdom: Why Philosophy Still Matters Today dlvr.it/QQkVyv https://t.co/bFv1SRtidJ
  
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• Scott administration looks to impose student ratios

  25-04-2018 12:20 via vtdigger.org
  Finance Commissioner Adam Greshin. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
  The Scott administration introduced a new proposal Tuesday that sets a threshold student-to-staff ratio for schools. Schools that fail to meet the target would be fined.The statewide average student-to-staff ratio is 4 to 1. The Scott administration wants to set a threshold ratio of 5.15 to 1 for every school in Vermont. Some schools in Vermont currently have a 3 to 1 ratio; others have a 7 to 1 ratio.
  Under the proposal, distri
  
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• Business leaders push back on anti-F-35 resolutions

  25-04-2018 05:25 via vtdigger.org
  Frank Cioffi, left, head of the Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation, with Win Smith, CEO of Sugarbush Resort. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
  Business leaders from Chittenden County and beyond gathered at Burlington International Airport Tuesday to hit back at recent resolutions opposing the F-35 fighter jet basing.
  Three cities adjacent to the airport have passed resolutions requesting that the Air Force cancel its plans to base F-35s in Burlington in 2019, and provide the Vermont Air Na
  
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• Scott ‘fairly certain’ that a veto session is on the way

  25-04-2018 04:13 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott at a press conference. File photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
  The governor does not foresee an easy end to the legislative session as the Democratically controlled House and Senate forge ahead with bills he opposes.“I am fairly certain that we’ll need a veto session in June,” Republican Gov. Phil Scott told WCAX reporter Neal Goswami in an interview, an excerpt of which Goswami posted to Twitter. Get all of VTDigger's political news.You'll never miss a political
  
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• House addresses state need for more mental health facilities

  25-04-2018 03:33 via vtdigger.org
  Central Vermont Medical Center’s Emergency Department. File photo by Roger Crowley/for VTDigger
  The House is backing a new plan to expand Vermont’s mental health treatment capacity, including creation of a new psychiatric hospital in Berlin.
  Representatives on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a revised version of S.203, a wide-ranging mental health bill that includes several initiatives aimed at improving a system plagued by increasing demands and a lack of capacity.Get all of VT
  
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• Dire warnings don’t stop minimum wage bill from advancing

  25-04-2018 03:33 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Helen Head, center, chairs the House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
  A bill that would raise the minimum wage to $15 over the next five years cleared another legislative hurdle in the House yesterday, but not before Republican representatives had a chance to tell their Democratic colleagues what a mistake they were making.During more than an hour of debate before voting on the bill, S.40, members of the House Committee on General, Housing
  
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• Senate advances changes to domestic terrorism law

  25-04-2018 01:38 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Dick Sears. Photo by VTDigger
  The Vermont Senate gave preliminary approval Tuesday to domestic terrorism legislation that would criminalize the conduct of taking substantial steps toward carrying out a mass shooting.
  The Senate voted 30 to 0 to advance to the legislation making changes to the state’s domestic terrorism laws in the light of a Vermont Supreme Court ruling in the case of Jack Sawyer, 18, accused by police of planning to shoot up his former high school in Fair Haven.Get a
  
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• Sandra Levine: Vermont Yankee sale deal lacks safeguards

  25-04-2018 01:05 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Sandra Levine, who is a senior attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation in Montpelier.With communities in Vermont still reeling from the PFOA toxic waste left behind in Bennington, it’s ludicrous not to have sensible, commonplace toxic site cleanup protections in place for Vermont Yankee.
  Yet this is likely with the proposed sale from Entergy (the current owner) to newcomer demolition company NorthStar which needs approval from both the Vermo
  
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• Howard Smith: A vision for education in Vermont

  25-04-2018 01:00 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Howard W. Smith, a retired career educational administrator who was interim Burlington School District superintendent from 2014-15.
  If the opportunity presented itself to design a fiscally sustainable public education system from scratch that would meet the needs of children, parents and employers in the 21st century, does anyone believe the result would look like the current model? States throughout the country are struggling to find ways of continuing
  
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• Don Keelan: The curse of large real estate projects

  25-04-2018 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.
  When it comes to sizable real estate development projects in Vermont, it seems that trouble follows. Trouble takes on several forms – from the misuse of funds to misrepresentation.
  It was not too long ago that officials at the predecessor institution to what is now the University of Vermont Medical Center, misled state of
  
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• Walt Amses: Home is where the snow is

  25-04-2018 00:50 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: Walt Amses is a writer and former educator who lives in Calais.
  “Set my compass North I’ve got winter in my blood.”— Robbie Robertson
  The trick we learned just a little too late about escaping the last few weeks of winter was simply this: Make sure your return trip coincides with warmer weather than when you left. Well, so much for that. We’re not even back yet but on the way, holed up in Cape May, New Jersey, a more sedate version of the typica
  
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• Leahy asks Sessions to recuse himself from Cohen probe

  25-04-2018 00:49 via vtdigger.org
  Then-Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., left, and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., talk during a Judiciary Committee hearing in January 2017. Leahy has asked Sessions, who is now attorney general, to recuse himself from the Michael Cohen investigation. Photo courtesy of Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office
  WASHINGTON — Sen. Patrick Leahy has called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from a probe of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney.
  Leahy wrote to Sessions on Friday asking
  
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• Vermont gets a D+ for poor progress toward Lake Champlain clean up

  25-04-2018 00:38 via vtdigger.org
  The view across the broad lake. File photo courtesy Lake Champlain Basin Program
  The Conservation Law Foundation has given the state of Vermont a D+ for poor progress toward a clean-up of Lake Champlain. Issuing its annual Lake Champlain Report Card on Monday, the environmental watchdog said “The near-failing grade is the result of a consistent pattern of missed deadlines, weak treatment standards and a lack of investment in clean-up programs.”
  The foundation’s grade is in mark
  
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