Vermont news

• George Longenecker: AI goes to college 

  13-05-2024 13:01 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by George Longenecker of Middlesex.
  I wanted to find out how easy it would be for a student to use artificial intelligence instead of their own minds. It’s been a few years since I retired and AI has made huge strides.ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a chatbot developed by OpenAI. Launched in 2022, AI is the fastest-growing software application in history, with 100 million users and a value of $80 billion.  It’s only on
  
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• Balint, Welch introduce legislation to ban ‘price fixing’ software for rental properties

  06-06-2024 23:26 via vtdigger.org
  
  U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., answers questions after speaking at a demonstration calling for the re-opening of the Montpelier Post Office on Monday, January 8, 2024. The post office has been closed since the July 2023 flood. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
  U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., and U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., want to outlaw the use of rental property management software that allows landlords to compare and set rental prices using algorithms — behavior that, the two membe
  
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• Seeking to build a Vergennes youth facility, state officials confront skepticism — and history

  06-06-2024 23:22 via vtdigger.org
  
  A rendering of the proposed Green Mountain Youth Campus. Photo courtesy of Vermont Department for Children and FamiliesFor decades, the city of Vergennes was host to some of Vermont’s most troubled youth. Between 1874 and 1979, the Addison County city was the site of an institution most recently known as the Weeks School, a detention and reform facility for juveniles. According to the state’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, children at the facility — some of whom wer
  
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• Darn Tough is wrestling with ‘rampant’ social media scams. In Vermont, it’s not alone.

  06-06-2024 22:48 via vtdigger.org
  
  Darn Tough Vermont socks on display at a retail store. File photo courtesy of Darn Tough Vermont.
  For as long as there’s been the internet, there have been internet scammers. For people like 40-year-old Windsor resident Brendan Dangelo, that risk feels more or less easy to navigate with a few simple rules: Be careful which download button you click, and don’t send personal information over email.“We think we’re pretty internet literate,” Dangelo said of himsel
  
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• Phil Scott vetoes property tax bill, unsettling next year’s school funding

  06-06-2024 22:39 via vtdigger.org
  
  Rep. Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, left, and Gov. Phil Scott. File Photos by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
  Gov. Phil Scott vetoed the annual property tax bill on Thursday, setting up a veto session showdown on a piece of legislation that must pass for schools to be funded as normal. “We must provide property tax relief now. This can’t wait for another study before implementing cost containment strategies,” Scott said in a statement. Known as the “yield bill,” th
  
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• Burlington police’s mock shooting exercise rattles high school students

  06-06-2024 21:54 via vtdigger.org
  
  Insignia of the Burlington Police Department. File Photo by Aidan Quigley/VTDigger
  Burlington High School students were rattled on Wednesday after local police detectives staged a demonstration to students during which a supposed gunman pretended to open fire.The incident occurred Wednesday at the Burlington Police Department’s headquarters at One North Avenue. About 20 students in the school’s year-end forensics class had traveled to the police station for a field trip, Russ Elek,
  
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• Welcome to Green Vision Cleansing

  06-06-2024 17:12 via vtdigger.org
  
  Photo by Jenna Rice/Jenna Rice CreativeWelcome to Green Vision Cleansing, your trusted partner in creating a healthier and cleaner home environment in Vermont. We believe that a clean home should not come at the expense of your health or the environment. That’s why we specialize in eco-friendly, customized cleaning solutions designed to promote human wellness and environmental sustainability.Our unique approach sets us apart: we develop and use our own 100% natural cleaning products, formu
  
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• Tom McKone: Enslavers, abolitionists and the Underground Railroad

  06-06-2024 13:47 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Tom McKone of Montpelier.
  The Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh has a long historical reach and two big stories to tell, yet it is less known outside of Addison County and the Champlain Valley than it deserves to be. “Seeking Freedom: The Underground Railroad and the Legacy of an Abolitionist Family,” its excellent new exhibit, could change that.Rokeby, as it is familiarly known, from 1793 until 1961 was the homestead of several generations of the Robinson family, a
  
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• Sam Liss: Sen. Dick Sears will be missed by many

  06-06-2024 11:50 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Editor,I am greatly saddened to hear of Sen. Dick Sears’ passing. However gruff Dick could appear to be, and however explosive he could be at times, after getting to know him, I realized how compassionate he really was and how much he valued his constituents’ needs and input.Dick was as effective as any Vermont senator — indeed more than most — in pushing forward his moderate but salient agenda from his influential positions in the Legislature. I worked with him as I
  
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• Norwich officials seek solution to bridge’s chemical leak

  06-06-2024 01:09 via vtdigger.org
  
  Peter Orner points to contaminants dripping down the wall of Bridge 12, which carries Moore Lane over Bloody Brook, near his home in Norwich on May 30, 2024. Photo by Alex Driehaus/Valley NewsThis story by Patrick Adrian was first published in the Valley News on June 3.NORWICH — Hazardous chemicals appear to be leaking again from a town bridge that crosses Bloody Brook, driving town officials to consider new solutions to mitigate the continuing environmental threat.Petroleum-based chemica
  
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• State’s Public Utility Commission to cut net metering rates even further

  06-06-2024 00:35 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Public Utility Commission buildingin Montpelier on Wed. June 5, 2024. Photo by Emma Malinak/VTDiggerThe precipitous fall of Vermont’s net metering payment rates shows no signs of stalling. For years now, the compensation Vermonters receive when they install solar panels and send excess power back to the grid has been declining — and the state’s Public Utility Commission announced further cuts in a report last week.The move angered an array of state climate groups, who
  
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• A Yale grad student from Newport studied Vermont’s school mergers. She found they don’t save much.

  06-06-2024 00:12 via vtdigger.org
  
  A third-grade student in Jennifer Montgomery’s class raises her hand at theCoventry Village School on September 5, 2019.File Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
  While studying economics and education at Yale University, Grace Miller found a surprise topic on the agenda: Vermont’s one-of-a-kind school funding formula. The 22-year-old from Newport and her classmates learned about the “Brigham decision,” a 1997 Vermont Supreme Court case that found the state’s educat
  
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• A Yale grad from Newport studied Vermont’s school mergers. She found they don’t save much.

  06-06-2024 00:12 via vtdigger.org
  
  A third-grade student in Jennifer Montgomery’s class raises her hand at theCoventry Village School on September 5, 2019.File Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
  While studying economics and education at Yale University, Grace Miller found a surprise topic on the agenda: Vermont’s one-of-a-kind school funding formula. The 22-year-old from Newport and her classmates learned about the “Brigham decision,” a 1997 Vermont Supreme Court case that found the state’s educat
  
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• Phil Scott vetoes a restorative justice bill, drawing Attorney General Charity Clark’s rebuke

  05-06-2024 23:41 via vtdigger.org
  
  Gov. Phil Scott, left, and Attorney General Charity Clark. File photos by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
  Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed a bill that proponents said would ensure people have equitable access to restorative justice programs across the state — with the governor arguing on Tuesday that the legislation lacked funding to support its proposals.But Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, whose office would be among those most impacted by H.645 , fired back at the governor’s veto on Wedn
  
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• Vermont Conversation: Harvard professor Steven Levitsky on how the ‘tyranny of the minority’ threatens democracy

  05-06-2024 23:36 via vtdigger.org
  
  
  Steven Levitsky and his new book “Tyranny of The Minority,” cowritten with Daniel Ziblatt.Photos courtesy of Steven LevitskyThe Vermont Conversation with David Goodman is a VTDigger podcast that features in-depth interviews on local and national issues with politicians, activists, artists, changemakers and citizens who are making a difference. Listen below, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify to hear more.
  Harvard professor Steve
  
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• Judith Herbst Witters

  05-06-2024 20:21 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born 1945Richmond, IndianaDied May 3, 2024Lincoln, VermontDetails of servicesIn lieu of flowers, we ask people to give in support of two things she loved most: horses and reading. The first is the farm where her horse, Dexter, lives. Eddy Farm has a long tradition of giving back to the community and making horses accessible to many for whom they wouldn’t otherwise be (just like Judy did). Donations to Eddy Farm can be made online at eddyfarmschool.org/ or if you prefer by check t
  
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• VSAC adult education funding helps adult learner go to dental hygiene school at Vermont State University-Williston

  05-06-2024 18:02 via vtdigger.org
  
  Lucie Hobbs-Johnson poses in Aruba with a giant tooth.“I’m a late bloomer,” says Lucie Hobbs-Johnson with a broad smile. At the age of 49, she’s just finished her first year of dental hygiene school at Vermont State University-Williston (VTSU). Going back to school and becoming a hygienist represents the fulfillment of a longtime dream for Lucie, who wants to make her family proud. It’s also an opportunity to serve as a mother figure and a caregiver for her co
  
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• Chief Don Stevens: Inaccurate information keeps getting circulated about the Vermont Abenaki tribes and their leaders. Let’s set the record straight.

  05-06-2024 14:02 via vtdigger.org
  
  We should have learned by now that you don’t have to suppress someone else to uplift your own affiliation.This commentary is by Don Stevens of Shelburne, chief of the Nulhegan Abenaki.
  It is unfortunate that a history professor who works at the University of Vermont, who enjoys “white privilege,” feels that he has the authority or obligation to determine who is a legitimate Abenaki. Although UVM may be a reputable institution, even these institutions make mistakes, and pr
  
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• Chief Don Stevens: Inaccurate information keeps getting circulated about the Vermont Abenaki tribes and their leaders

  05-06-2024 14:02 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Don Stevens of Shelburne, chief of the Nulhegan Abenaki.
  It is unfortunate that a history professor who works at the University of Vermont, who enjoys “white privilege,” feels that he has the authority or obligation to determine who is a legitimate Abenaki. Although UVM may be a reputable institution, even these institutions make mistakes, and professors can be misguided. The misguided work of Henry Perkins and UVM conducting the eugenics survey is such an
  
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• Spencer Kuchle: Stitches in time

  05-06-2024 12:57 via vtdigger.org
  
  This commentary is by Spencer Kuchle of Derby Line, associate director of collections and interpretation at the Old Stone House Museum and Historic Village in Brownington.
  Last year, a statewide initiative was launched to locate and document American schoolgirl samplers and other embroideries in public and private collections in Vermont. The Vermont Sampler Initiative, supported by Vermont Humanities, is a collaboration among museums, historical societies, private collectors and community
  
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• Debra Mason

  05-06-2024 02:05 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born Jul. 26, 1952Big Rapids, MichiganDied Mar. 26, 2024Bakersfield, VermontDetails of servicesFriends will host a remembrance for Debra at her home in Bakersfield in August.Debra Mason of Bakersfield, steward of her land, meditator, yoga instructor, book reader, word weaver and wool weaver, rural advocate and consultant, advocate for the elderly, bike rider, cross country skier, jazz lover, wood stacker, dog and cat aficionado, and a mean cribbage player, who spent her life humbly serving her f
  
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• Phil Scott names Aliena Gerhard as Lamoille County’s top prosecutor

  05-06-2024 00:17 via vtdigger.org
  
  Six months later, Lamoille County has a new top prosecutor. Gov. Phil Scott appointed Aliena Gerhard to the post Tuesday, according to an announcement from his office. Gerhard had been serving as the county’s acting state’s attorney since December, after Todd Shove resigned from the post, citing the demands of the job. “It is my honor to continue to work with community leaders to seek and obtain justice and to promote safer communities,” Gerhard said, according
  
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• Vermont ACLU takes Essex County Sheriff’s Department to court in public records dispute

  05-06-2024 00:14 via vtdigger.org
  
  An Essex County Sheriff’s cruiser in Guildhall on Oct. 5, 2023. File Photo by Natalie Williams/VTDigger
  The Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Essex County Sheriff’s Department in a dispute over public records related to the department’s compliance with Vermont’s fair and impartial policing policy.In the lawsuit filed Monday in Washington County Superior civil court, the ACLU of Vermont alleged that the sheriff’s department won&rsquo
  
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• Families sue Vermont DCF over LGBTQ+ foster care requirements

  04-06-2024 23:52 via vtdigger.org
  
  Chris Winters chats before the Vermont Democratic Party’s unity press conference in Montpelier on Aug. 30, 2022. File Photo by Natalie Williams/VTDiggerTwo Vermont couples are suing the state’s Department for Children and Families, alleging that foster parent requirements intended to protect LGBTQ+ youth are unconstitutional and discriminate against Christians.The federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday by the prominent conservative legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom, aims to strike down
  
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• Damaged by flooding, Vermont’s water systems get new pot of federal funds

  04-06-2024 23:25 via vtdigger.org
  
  Mobile homes in Mountain Home Trailer Park in West Brattleboro are surrounded by water on July 10, after heavy rainfall caused the Whetstone Brook to breach its banks. File Photo by Zachary P. Stephens/VTDiggerVermont communities will be able to tap into a new pot of federal funding this summer to fix water systems damaged by flooding and make them more resilient for the future.The state has awarded Vermont Bond Bank $6.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to run the Small System Capac
  
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• Vermont service providers brace for loss of money to keep people housed

  04-06-2024 23:17 via vtdigger.org
  
  Apartments at Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester. A state anti-homelessness program that helps people pay back rent or cover security deposits or moving expenses is facing an anticipated 70% reduction in funding. File photo by Ric Cengeri/Vermont PublicThis story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public.Four years ago, Igor Motriak hurt his back while working a construction job. The injury put him out of work, and the l
  
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• Michael James Burke

  04-06-2024 20:36 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born Oct. 30, 1949Bellows, VermontDied May 22, 2024Burlington, VermontDetails of servicesThe family invites you to support the HealthWell Foundation in his memory. A private celebration of life will be hosted at a later date.Loving husband, dedicated father and loyal friend Michael James Burke, 74, died peacefully in the presence of family on May 22, 2024, after a brief battle with leukemia.Born on Oct. 30, 1949, in Bellows Falls to Thomas and Evelyn (Prunier) Burke, he is survived by his wife o
  
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• 5th suspect in December 2022 robbery and killing in St. Johnsbury arrested in Louisiana

  04-06-2024 19:25 via vtdigger.org
  
  A fifth suspect has been arrested in a deadly shooting that took place in St. Johnsbury in December 2022. Danny Daniels, 32, of Philadelphia had been wanted since a warrant was issued for his arrest in January 2023 in connection with the drug robbery and fatal shooting of Israel Jimenez Lugo. The 49-year-old was killed at the St. Johnsbury apartment in which he was living.Daniels was arrested in New Orleans on Monday afternoon following a vehicular and then foot pursuit by Louisianan law en
  
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• William Sinsigalli: Some short-term rentals are more harmful than others

  04-06-2024 13:37 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Editor, Lisa Ford is missing the point in her VTDigger commentary. Folks are not against all short-term rentals when they operate responsibly and are a supplement to resident and part-time resident income from their residential property.The issue is short-term rentals acquired and developed by investors as a business enterprise. Those do impact available housing stock for local residents and increase the price of homes that might otherwise be available for purchase or long-term rental
  
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• As Pride month kicks off across Vermont, state’s LGBTQ+ leaders reflect on what the festivities mean to them

  04-06-2024 12:58 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Pride Parade marches down Lake Street in Burlington on September 18, 2022. File Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
  Stop by one of the nine Amtrak stations on the Vermonter’s route Saturday, June 8, and you might catch a glimpse of LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations as the train slows into the platform. That’s because, for the second year running, Pride groups across the state plan to rally to their local train stations to greet the Vermonter on its southbound journey, waving flags and
  
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