Vermont news

• Leahy to White House on Mueller protection bill: ‘Let it be a warning.’

  26-04-2018 23:51 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. Photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger
  WASHINGTON — Despite opposition from Senate Republican leadership, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill Thursday that would establish protections for the special counsel leading a probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
  The committee passed the bill on a 14-7 vote, with four Republicans voting in favor of the measure with all ten Democrats.Get all of VTDigger's political news.You'll never miss a political
  
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• Vermont NEA, insurance group scrap over future of teacher health care

  26-04-2018 23:46 via vtdigger.org
  Jeff Fannon, general counsel of the Vermont NEA. Photo by Anne Galloway/VTDiggerWhen the Vermont teachers union proposed a statewide health care benefit earlier this month, they started a pitched battle over turf.The union wants to scrap the Vermont Education Health Initiative, a health care benefits pool for 42,000 school workers and their families, and replace it with a new commission that would design and administer medical benefits. Under the Vermont NEA proposal, half of the commission woul
  
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• Senate committee approves water lines for beleaguered Bennington residents

  26-04-2018 23:17 via vtdigger.org
  The former ChemFab plant in North Bennington is considered by state officials to be the source of PFOA contamination of groundwater supplies in a wide area around the factory. File photo by Ben Garver/Berkshire Eagle
  The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved funding for the further extension of public water lines to Bennington residents whose wells were found to be contaminated with the toxic pollutant and known carcinogen perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA.Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, sai
  
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• Committee OKs PFOA funding for Bennington water line work

  26-04-2018 19:46 via vtdigger.org
  Jim Sullivan says his well, which is contaminated with dangerous levels of PFOA, is worth nothing. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
  The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved funding to design the second phase of water line extensions to deal with PFOA contamination of wells in Bennington.
  Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, said Wednesday that $750,000 was approved to cover full design of water line extensions to properties affected by perfluorooctanoic acid in what is called the eastern secti
  
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• Leahy, Sanders and Welch announce $1.35 million in brownfields grants for Vermont

  26-04-2018 17:50 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Congressional DelegationApril 25, 2018
  Contact:David Carle (Leahy): 202-224-3693
  Dan McClean (Sanders): 802-862-6695
  Kate Hamilton (Welch): 202-440-3340
  . . . Grants will go to four Vermont organizations to help redevelop contaminated sites across the state
  (WEDNESDAY, April 25, 2018) — Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced Wednesday that four Vermont organizations will share a total of $1.35 mill
  
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• Vermont PBS tapped for five New England Emmy nominations

  26-04-2018 17:42 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont PBSApril 25, 2018
  Contact:Julia Andrews, Vermont [email protected]
  Four Local Productions Recognized for Outstanding Content and CraftColchester, VT – April 25, 2018 – Vermont PBS is proud to announce it has been nominated for five New England Emmy Awards, the most nominated broadcast station in Vermont this year.
  The New England Emmys are awarded for excellence in original video content.Vermont PBS nominations incl
  
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• Vermont Federal Credit Union receives Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness award

  26-04-2018 17:38 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Federal Credit UnionApril 25, 2018
  Contact:Kylie J. PerryMarketing StrategistVermont Federal Credit Union(802) 923-1322, (888) 252-0202 Ext. [email protected]
  Burlington, VT – On March 21, Amanda Reid, HR Specialist at Vermont Federal Credit Union, accepted the 2018 Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Award at the Worksite Wellness Conference.
  The award highlights worksites around the state and their efforts to promote the health and we
  
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• How Safe Are Vermont Schools? Exploring Results Of A Statewide Survey dlvr.it/QQtLWQ https://t.co/dXp9EFdlFT

  26-04-2018 17:38 via twitter.com
  
  How Safe Are Vermont Schools? Exploring Results Of A Statewide Survey dlvr.it/QQtLWQ https://t.co/dXp9EFdlFT
  
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• Celebrating Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in Vermont

  26-04-2018 17:34 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Historical SocietyApril 25, 2018
  Contact:Matthew JohnsonPHONE: (802) 479-8519EMAIL: [email protected]
  April 25, 2018, Barre, VT – The Vermont Historical Society is partnering with the Cavendish Historical Society and the University of Vermont to celebrate the life and work of Russian novelist and historian Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn on what would be the 100th anniversary of his birth. Solzhenitsyn’s time in Vermont and its influence on his li
  
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• Windham and Windsor Housing Trust committed to passive energy output

  26-04-2018 17:31 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Windham and Windsor Housing TrustApril 25, 2018
  Contact:Lissa Harris | Marketing & Outreach CoordinatorDirect: 802-246-2102Main: 802-254-4604
  New housing development will meet stringent environmental regulations
  Joining the ranks of housing developments nationwide, the Windham and Windsor Housing Trust’s (WWHT) new housing development project, The Snow Block, will meet criteria from The Passive House Institute U.S. (PHIUS) to obtain a passive building certification
  
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• Burlington 2030 District hosts launch event on May 1

  26-04-2018 17:27 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Burlington 2030 DistrictApril 25, 2018
  Contact:Jenna Antonino DiMarePhone: 802-735-2192Email: [email protected]
  Burlington, VT, April 2018 – The Burlington 2030 District, a private/public partnership that supports ongoing local efforts to mitigate climate change, looks forward to its official launch event on Tuesday, May 1 from 5:00 to 7:00pm at Union Station (1 Main Street) in Burlington. All are welcome to attend this celebration, where attendee
  
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• Gov. Scott to speak at Johnson State College commencement May 19

  26-04-2018 17:23 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Johnson State CollegeApril 25, 2018
  Contact:Sylvia Plumb: 802.626.6459, [email protected]
  JOHNSON, VERMONT — Gov. Phil Scott will speak May 19 at Johnson State College’s 151st commencement, at which about 310 associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees are expected to be conferred. The 11 a.m. ceremony will be on the college’s South Lawn.
  Tent seating for the ticketed ceremony will be reserved for graduating students, their
  
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• Commonwealth founder plans new value-added dairy facility

  26-04-2018 16:53 via vtdigger.org
  Tom Moffitt, then-CEO of Ehrmann Commonwealth Dairy, in 2016. File photo by Kristopher Radder/ Brattleboro Reformer
  This article by Bob Audette was published by the Brattleboro Reformer on April 26.
  BRATTLEBORO — The managing member of a proposed “value-added” dairy facility in the Exit One Industrial Park is no stranger to Brattleboro.
  According to documents filed with the Vermont secretary of state, Thomas Moffitt, the former president of Commonwealth Dairy, is behind the $32
  
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• SCORE Vermont seeks volunteer business mentors

  26-04-2018 15:20 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — SCORE VermontApril 24, 2018
  Contact:Nancy Shuttleworth, Certified MentorVermont SCORE802-770-0247
  Essex Junction – SCORE Vermont is growing and seeking volunteers with business experience to become mentors to small businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs. SCORE offers no cost, confidential business mentoring, free business tools, and workshops to help businesses thrive and reach their goals. SCORE mentoring services are offered via one-on-one meetings, or through emai
  
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• Survey shows improved actions by Chittenden County residents to combat stormwater runoff

  26-04-2018 15:10 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Rethink RunoffApril 24, 2018
  Contact:Dan AlbrechtRethink [email protected]
  Winooski – For the past 15 years, Rethink Runoff (formally known as the Chittenden County Regional Stormwater Education Program), a regional stormwater outreach, education and participation campaign formed by nine municipalities and three organizations subject to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS-4) permit requirements
  
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• Sanders introduces two amendments to strengthen opioid crisis response bill

  26-04-2018 15:05 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Sen. Bernie SandersApril 24, 2018
  Contact:Josh Miller-LewisOffice of Sen. Bernie [email protected]
  Washington, D.C. – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced two amendments to the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 under consideration Tuesday in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
  The first amendment put forward by Sanders would impose retroactive civil fines on companies and executives that illegally marketed and/or distribute
  
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• Comcast volunteers ‘make change happen’ in Vermont on 17th Comcast Cares Day

  26-04-2018 15:00 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — ComcastApril 25, 2018
  Contact:Jessica ForrestComcast Public Relations [email protected]
  South Burlington – On Saturday, April 21, approximately 250 Vermont Comcast NBCUniversal employees and their families, friends and community partners helped to “make change happen” as they volunteered to improve two Vermont sites as part of the 17th annual Comcast Cares Day. This year, volunteers were also part of and celebrated a si
  
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• UPDATED: Education hole balloons to $58 million

  26-04-2018 11:44 via vtdigger.org
  Tim Ashe, Senate President Pro Tem, left. House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, right.
  The education fund gap is much higher than originally projected, legislative analysts say.
  The gap, which had been reported by the Scott administration to be $40 million, is actually $58.2 million. That’s because special education spending is higher than anticipated, and the governor, in his public statements, hasn’t take into account funding needed to fill statutorily required reserves.Get all of VTDigger'
  
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• Education hole balloons to $58 million

  26-04-2018 11:44 via vtdigger.org
  Tim Ashe, Senate President Pro Tem, left. House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, right.The education fund gap is much higher than originally projected, legislative analysts say.The gap, which had been reported by the Scott administration to be $40 million, is actually $58.2 million. That’s because special education spending is higher than anticipated, and the governor’s office didn’t take into account funding needed to fill statutorily required reserves. Get all of VTDigger's political n
  
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• New definition of criminal attempt voted out by House panel

  26-04-2018 10:34 via vtdigger.org
  Jack Sawyer, 18, of Poultney appears in Vermont Superior Court in Rutland on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, for a hearing to determine whether bail or conditions of release should be set for Sawyer, who the state says was planning a school shooting at Fair Haven Union High School. (POOL photo by Ryan Mercer / Burlington Free Press)The House Judiciary Committee squeaked out a law that would redefine how an attempt is defined in relation to seven severe crimes, including those brought, and then dropped,
  
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• Brattleboro students set to raise Black Lives Matter flag

  26-04-2018 10:00 via vtdigger.org
  Diamond Bedward, Kia Adams, and Mya Satchell, eighth-grade students at Brattleboro Area Middle School, stand by the flagpole where their school will fly a “Black Lives Matter” flag on May 4. Photo by Kristopher Radder/ Brattleboro Reformer
  BRATTLEBORO — At the request of several students, the Black Lives Matter flag will be hoisted on flagpoles at Brattleboro Union High School, Brattleboro Area Middle School and the Windham Regional Career Center on May 4, which is Diversity Da
  
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• Opioid tax proposal spurs concern over cost consequences

  26-04-2018 04:19 via vtdigger.org
  Percocet is among the opioid painkillers that contains oxycodone. Creative Commons photo
  With the 2018 legislative session winding down, a proposed tax on prescription opioids is mired in uncertainty.
  The Senate Finance Committee is scrutinizing how the levy would work and whether it could drive up Medicaid costs, thus negating a portion of the state’s revenues.Get all of VTDigger's health care news.You'll never miss our health care coverage with our weekly headlines in your inbox.Daily
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• Senate budget would spend big on mental health, criminal justice

  26-04-2018 03:36 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Jane Kitchel, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, responds to Gov. Scott’s budget address. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
  The Senate Appropriations Committee voted out a budget proposal Wednesday that would make new investments in the state’s mental health and criminal justice systems, while restoring funds to many programs serving vulnerable Vermonters that are facing cuts.
  The committee’s budget mirrors much of the decision-making that went into the $5.84 bil
  
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• VSA: Next education secretary must be ‘skilled navigator, collaborator and leader’

  26-04-2018 02:51 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary was submitted on behalf of the Vermont Superintendents Association Board of Trustees by its president-elect, Jeanné Collins, who is superintendent of the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union.
  Vermont’s local school officials are being asked to lead in a time of significant challenge and dramatic change.
  School leaders are inspired by the important work of creating effective, equitable learning opportunities responsive to the aspirations and aptitu
  
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• Meghan Emery: Replace the F-35 with a quieter, safer aircraft

  26-04-2018 02:46 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Meghan Emery, of South Burlington, who is a former member of the South Burlington City Council.
  In 2010 (I was on the council at the time), the first public meeting to discuss the proposed basing of the F-35 at Burlington International Airport was held in Winooski. Later, when the draft Environmental Impact Statement was issued in 2012, I read with consternation the data indicating a 50 percent increase in the number of homes that would fall in a zone a
  
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• Ariel Brewer Louis: The importance of sound science in vaccine research

  26-04-2018 02:43 via vtdigger.org
  This commentary is by Ariel Brewer Louis, of Woodstock, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and studied the neural basis of drug addiction in Paris, before stepping away from the field in order to raise her three children full time. She is currently a board certified lactation consultant.
  Jessie Leyse, MD, recently stated in a VTDigger commentary, “Parents sometimes worry their child is getting a lot of vaccines all at once, but there have been innumerable studies about the safety of following
  
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• Rick Davis: Child care a partner in health care affordability challenge

  26-04-2018 02:39 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Rick Davis, who is the president of the Permanent Fund for Vermont’s Children.
  I recently read two poignant opinion pieces about Vermont’s health care system. In a piece titled “Affordability is health care’s challenge,” Dr. John Brumsted, CEO of the University of Vermont Health Network, argued that achieving affordability depends upon better coordinated care among all providers and greater investments in primary care, prev
  
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• Public financing returns to universal primary care bill

  26-04-2018 01:15 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Bill Lippert, D-Hinesburg, chair of House Health Care Committee. File photo by Erin Mansfield/VTDiggerA key House committee is backing a taxpayer-funded system of universal primary care, bucking those who have expressed concerns about such a system.
  The House Health Care Committee on Wednesday voted 6-5 to support a version of S.53 that explicitly endorses publicly financed primary care. The care should be available to Vermonters “without cost-sharing,” the bill says.Get all of
  
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• Republicans sustain Scott’s veto of toxics bill in House vote

  26-04-2018 00:50 via vtdigger.org
  House Minority Leader Don Turner, backed by fellow House Republicans, speaks about the budget last year. Photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger
  Vermont’s House Republicans came through for Gov. Phil Scott on Wednesday, upholding his veto of bill aimed at protecting children from toxic chemicals.
  Opponents of the bill came four votes short of overriding the veto. Before the vote, House members applauded the return of Rep. David Ainsworth, R-South Royalton, who has been absent from the Legislatu
  
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• VTDigger Minute: Veto session, student ratios, EB-5 lawsuit

  26-04-2018 00:12 via vtdigger.org
  VTDigger Minute is a weekly news digest from Vermont PBS. Tune in every Wednesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. to hear about the week’s top stories.
  This week on the Minute:
  Scott ‘fairly certain’ that a veto session is on the way
  Gov. Phil Scott said this week that he’s “fairly certain” the legislature will need to reconvene for a veto session this June. Scott has pledged to oppose several bills because they impose new taxes or fees. But lawmakers have contin
  
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