Vermont news

• Gov. Phil Scott’s public schedule June 2-8, 2018

  01-06-2018 23:23 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Gov. Phil ScottJune 1, 2018
  Contact:Ethan T. LatourAsst. Director of Policy and CommunicationsP. 802.828.3333governor.vermont.gov
  Governor Phil Scott’s Public Schedule: 6/2/18 – 6/8/18
  Saturday, June 2
  2:00 – 4:00 PM
  Community College of Vermont Commencement
  Shapiro Field House, Norwich University, Northfield, VT
  Sunday, June 3
  No public events scheduled at this time
  Monday, June 4
  9:45 AM – 12:15 PM
  St. Johnsbury Academy Commencement
  1000 Main Street
  
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• The Deeper Dig: Lottery winners’ suspicious sums

  01-06-2018 22:29 via vtdigger.org
  A VTDigger investigation published in April revealed a pattern of unlikely lottery wins by retailers and their relatives. Total payoffs for some individuals have reached into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Collectively, at least 117 retailers won nearly $1.8 million.
  For reporter Katy Savage, tracking down those winners didn’t come easily. The Vermont Lottery Commission would name the towns, but not the stores, where prizewinners purchased their tickets. So Savage&nbs
  
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• Essex High School latest to raise Black Lives Matter flag

  01-06-2018 21:56 via vtdigger.org
  The Black Lives Matter Flag is raised by students and staff at Essex High School. Photo by Gail Callahan/VTDigger
  ESSEX JUNCTION — Essex has become the latest Vermont high school to raise a Black Lives Matter flag, joining Burlington, Brattleboro and Montpelier — the first in the nation to take such an action.
  U-32 middle and high school students plan to follow suit Monday.
  The Black Lives Matter flag — a symbol for racial equality and the fight against racial bias and abuse &m
  
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• LEDdynamics brightens Randolph’s economic picture with expansion

  01-06-2018 21:42 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Patrick Leahy addresses groundbreaking ceremony at LEDdynamics in Randolph. Photo by John Young/VTDigger
  RANDOLPH — Gov. Phil Scott drove the excavator and Sen. Patrick Leahy D-Vt. made a pun — only one — as state, regional and local partners participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking of the future headquarters of LEDdynamics, the Randolph-based manufacturer of Light Emitting Diode, or LED, products.Actual construction of the company’s new $5 million headquarters is
  
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• Border Patrol plans 5 more checkpoints for immigration on I-93, emails reveal

  01-06-2018 21:27 via vtdigger.org
  A U.S. Border Patrol agent checks a car on the I-93 southbound lane in September south of the Route 175 exit south of Lincoln. Photo by Geoff Forester
  This story by Ethan DeWitt was published by the Concord Monitor on May 30.
  U.S. Customs and Border Protection is planning five more immigration checkpoints along Interstate 93 in New Hampshire this year, following a three-day stop over the Memorial Day weekend, according to emails from state police.Get all of VTDigger's criminal justice news.You'l
  
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• Democratic primary races emerge in Bennington area

  01-06-2018 20:29 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington, is facing a primary challenger. File photo by Roger Crowley/for VTDigger
  BENNINGTON — Three Democratic primary races for Bennington area offices emerged following the deadline Thursday for major party candidates to file nomination papers.
  One primary involves the Bennington 3 (Shaftsbury-Sunderland-Glastenbury) House seat, which will be open because longtime incumbent Alice Miller is not seeking another term.Get all of VTDigger's political news.You'll ne
  
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• YWP: ‘Quadratic Formula Poem’

  01-06-2018 17:45 via vtdigger.org
  Young Writers Project, an independent nonprofit based in Burlington, engages young people to write and use digital media to express themselves with clarity and power, and to gain confidence and skills for school, the workplace and life.Check out the most recent issue of The Voice, Young Writers Project’s monthly digital magazine. Click here.Each week, VTDigger features a writing submission – an essay, poem, fiction or nonfiction – accompanied by a photo or illustration from Yo
  
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• SCOV Law Blog: Appeal argues plea colloquy lacked talk of mental state

  01-06-2018 17:30 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This piece from the SCOV Law Blog is by Elizabeth Kruska.In re Cynthia Pinheiro, 2018 VT 50
  Cynthia Pinheiro filed a motion for post-conviction relief (PCR) based on a defective plea colloquy. Specifically, her position was that during the plea colloquy where she pleaded guilty to an assault charge, the trial court didn’t identify the mental element of the crime.Get all of VTDigger's criminal justice news.You'll never miss our courts and criminal justice coverage with
  
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• Vermont earns highest ranking in nation for preventive medical and dental care for kids; fourth overall

  01-06-2018 16:15 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Bi-State Primary Care AssociationMay 30, 2018
  Contact:Tess Stack Kuenning, CNS, MS, RNPresident/CEO, Bi-State Primary Care Association603-228-2830 x 112
  Vermont has earned an overall ranking of 4th place from the Commonwealth Fund in their 2018 Scorecard of State Health System Performance published on May 3, 2018. This high ranking is should be no surprise to Vermont’s primary care providers, as they have been on the frontlines supporting and sustaining many of the 40
  
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• Point to Point, powered by VSECU, gears up as weather warms up

  01-06-2018 16:07 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — VSECUThursday, May 31, 2018
  Contact:Rachel Feldman, Public Relations [email protected] / 802-272-9756
  Annual event offers participants new ways to raise funds for hungry Vermonters
  Montpelier, VT – With summer just around the corner, Vermonters are gearing up to mix their passions for physical fitness and philanthropy at the 2018 Point to Point, powered by VSECU.
  The cycling and running event was created in 2002 to raise funds and awareness for the Vermont F
  
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• New law will send unclaimed Bottle Bill deposits to clean water fund

  01-06-2018 16:00 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — VPIRGMay 31, 2018
  Contact:Paul Burns, VPIRG: 802-793-1985
  Montpelier, VT – Vermont’s Bottle Bill program has long been hailed as the state’s most successful and popular recycling system. Passed in 1972, the law puts a five cent deposit on carbonated beer and soda containers, and a fifteen cent deposit on liquor bottles.
  At least 75 percent of the containers covered by the law are returned for redemption and recycling by consumers. But since the law was pass
  
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• Vermont Arts Council announces special project grants

  01-06-2018 15:57 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Arts CouncilMay 31, 2018
  Contact:Kira Bacon, [email protected], 802.828.5422
  Montpelier – The Vermont Arts Exchange, The Vermont Folklife Center, and choreographer Hannah Dennison have been awarded grants for arts projects that are deeply engaged with community. These Vermont Arts Council special project grants exemplify the Council’s new strategic goals to expand access to the arts, inspire creative placemaking, and energize Vermont’s c
  
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• Vermont’s annual count of homelessness shows mixed results

  01-06-2018 15:52 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness and the Chittenden County Homeless AllianceMay 31, 2018
  Contact:Josh Davis, [email protected]
  Peter Kellerman, [email protected]
  Margaret Bozik, [email protected]
  Travis Poulin, 802-863-6248 x [email protected]
  Non-profits and state agencies providing services to people experiencing homelessness release new report
  MONTPELIER, VT – 1,291 Vermonters were f
  
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• Maryellen Apelquist joins Gifford Health Care

  01-06-2018 15:47 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Gifford Health CareMay 31, 2018
  Contact:Ashley Lincoln802-728-2380
  RANDOLPH—Maryellen Apelquist, a communications professional with 20 years of experience, recently joined the development, marketing, and public relations team at Gifford Health Care. As Gifford’s communications specialist, Apelquist will manage media relations and create content to engage and inform the greater Gifford community about patient services and providers, community health outreach, and
  
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• Vermont Public Utility Commission publishes application checklist to assist net-metering customers

  01-06-2018 15:44 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Public Utility CommissionMay 31, 2018
  Contact:Jake Marren, PUC Staff Attorney802-828 [email protected]
  Montpelier, VT – On May 31, 2018, the Vermont Public Utility Commission(“Commission”) made it easier to apply for a certificate of public good (“CPG”) for a groundmounted net-metering system with a capacity of more than 50 kW. The Commission has published a checklist to help net-metering customers ensure that their
  
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• Fire in Sutton may be suspicious, police say

  01-06-2018 15:38 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Department of Public Safety Fire Investigation UnitMay 31, 2018
  Contact:Vermont State Police802-748-3111
  VERMONT STATE POLICE – ST. JOHNSBURY BARRACKSCase # 18A402762
  INVESTIGATORS: Detective Sergeant Michael LaCourse-VSP, Assistant State Fire Marshal Chris Boyd – Division of Fire Safety, Assistant State Fire Marshal Tim Angell- Division of Fire Safety.
  STATION: St. JohnsburyCONTACT# 802-748-3111
  DATE/TIME: 05/30/18 @ 2359 hrsINCIDENT LOCATION: 5121 US RT
  
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• Vermont Ag Hall of Fame expands to reflect the changing face of farming

  01-06-2018 15:32 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Agricultural Hall of FameMay 31, 2018
  Contact:Alison Kosakowski ConantAK Conant [email protected]
  Nominations Are Now Open for the 2018 Honorees
  **Click here to nominate someone!**
  Essex Junction, VT – This year the Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame celebrates its 16th year and will expand its nomination criteria to reflect the evolving face of Vermont agriculture. For the first time ever, nominations will be accepted in three
  
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• Move to Vermont. Work From Home. Get $10,000. (Or at Least Something.)

  01-06-2018 14:02
  Gov. Phil Scott has signed into law a bill that will pay a number of people who move to Vermont and work remotely for an out-of-state company.
  
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• Incumbents in top slots face little competition in 2018 primary

  01-06-2018 12:43 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Bernie Sanders. File photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerThis election cycle, no big names are challenging incumbents U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch.Sanders, 76, who ran in the 2016 presidential primary for the Democratic nomination, won by a landslide in his last race for Senate in 2012, and is thought to be unbeatable this go around.In the primary on August 14, Sanders, who has registered as a Democrat, will face Rocky de la Fuenta, an erstwhile candidate for president who
  
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• Essex man faces animal cruelty charges in cow deaths

  01-06-2018 03:18 via vtdigger.org
  The main barn at the Matthews Brothers Farm on Chapin Road in Essex, where dairy cows were found dead from malnourishment and neglect. Photo by Elizabeth Gribkoff/VTDigger
  ESSEX — Unpainted buildings, machinery and farm implements line the dirt road that runs through the Matthews Brothers Farm. There are broken windows in the main barn, obscured by tall weeds. A red hay wagon nearby is about half full of yellowed bales. The farm looks run down, but the verdant fields and hills that surroun
  
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• Scott vetoes systemic racism bill, replaces it with executive order

  01-06-2018 03:01 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott fields questions about his finance proposal on Thursday. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
  Gov. Phil Scott vetoed a bill on Wednesday aimed at eradicating “systemic racism” in state government, arguing that it contained an “unconstitutional” provision that would require a panel to approve his firing of the person appointed to be in charge of the new body.
  Lawmakers and the Office of Legislative Council say Scott’s legal argument doesn’t hold wat
  
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• Online undercover bust nets four on child porn-related charges

  01-06-2018 02:24 via vtdigger.org
  Attorney General TJ Donovan addresses an event to highlight efforts to combat online sex crimes, and introduce Mojo the digital device sniffing dog. Photo courtesy of Champlain College.
  BURLINGTON – An undercover investigation of peer-to-peer computer networks has led to the arrest of four Vermont men on child pornography-related charges, local, state and federal law enforcement officials announced on Thursday, at an event at Champlain College’s Leahy Center for Digital Investigation
  
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• Rick Cowan: How much is enough?

  01-06-2018 01:05 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Rick Cowan, a retired school administrator who lives in Rockingham. He serves on the boards of the Main Street Arts Association, the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association, The Nature Museum of Grafton and The Compass School. He has previously served on the Westminster Selectboard and Planning Commission.
  Here’s an extraordinary fact: Vermont’s public school students benefit from a lower ratio of full-time faculty and staff to students than that
  
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• Jeff Dickson: Scott’s surplus tax buy-down smokescreen

  01-06-2018 01:00 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Jeff Dickson, of Jamaica, who is the former publisher and editor of The Original Vermont Observer and Southern Vermont Adventures Magazine and the former editor of the Manchester Journal.When it comes to protecting our democracy what could be more important than educated citizen voters? Can our American way of life survive without an informed and engaged electorate? To this end we created public schools.
  Sadly, our nonpartisan neglect of public educatio
  
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• John Killacky: Parting words

  01-06-2018 00:55 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by John R. Killacky, who will be retiring from the Flynn Center next month. In his post-Flynn life, Killacky is running for the Vermont House of Representatives to represent his neighborhood in South Burlington.
  I came of age as an artist and administrator in New York in the 1970s. Post modernists, punks, minimalists and graffiti artists were deconstructing and distilling everyday actions. Rooftops, parking lots, lofts, bars, gymnasiums, and subway platfor
  
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• Act 46 incentive buy down latest pitch in faceoff over budget

  01-06-2018 00:35 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington. File photo by John Herrick/VTDiggerA group of House members are planning to pitch an amendment to the latest budget proposal that would clear the way for a compromise between legislative leadership and the governor.Rather than using a $34 million pool of one-time money to buy down tax rates, as the governor has proposed, Rep. Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington, wants to set aside most of that money for paying off Act 46 tax incentives. Browning says the proposal wo
  
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