Vermont news

• Plan on track to ship Upper Valley mail to Connecticut for sorting

  10-05-2024 18:43 via vtdigger.org
  
  Carol Fairbanks loads sorted mail into bins at the U.S. Postal Service processing plant in White River Junction on Tuesday, April 14, 2020. File photo by James M. Patterson/Valley NewsThis story by Patrick Adrian was first published by the Valley News on May 9.WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — The U.S. Postal Service will proceed with a plan to move mail sorting operations for Upper Valley communities from White River Junction to Connecticut, according to a USPS facilities study released this week.T
  
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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 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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• As Pride month kick 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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• Addie Lentzner: I am honored to have known Sen. Dick Sears

  04-06-2024 12:04 via vtdigger.org
  
  Dear Editor,A champion of criminal justice reform, a strong advocate for equality, and the type of man who would stop and talk genuinely to a 14-year-old girl in a cow costume, Sen. Dick Sears was always there for me and other youth advocates. When a couple of youths and I recently visited the Statehouse, he personally brought us into the Judiciary Committee Room and talked to us about criminal justice and racial justice. But it goes further back than that: Sen. Sears made an appearance at
  
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• Donald Lowell Siplon

  04-06-2024 03:03 via vtdigger.org
  
  Born Jan. 21, 1931Muskegon, MichiganDied April 19, 2024Shelburne, VermontDetails of servicesDon passed without regrets, believing he had lived a complete, beautiful and fulfilling life, enriched by the many people, places and experiences in it. In his final months Don expressed love, pride and gratitude for family and friends. He left nothing unsaid. The family is holding a remembrance service on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 1 PM the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 487 Furnace Road, Randolph
  
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• Phil Scott signs annual transportation bill with new fees on electric vehicles

  04-06-2024 01:02 via vtdigger.org
  
  An electric vehicle recharges on Main Street in Burlington. File Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
  A new annual fee on electric vehicle drivers is slated to take effect next year after Vermont Gov. Phil Scott on Monday signed this year’s annual transportation funding bill into law.The law, H.868, primarily allocates nearly $880 million to the state’s transportation system, according to Scott’s office. That includes about $130 million for roadway paving and some $55 million for p
  
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• 3 face drug crimes after Friday’s deadly police chase through Colchester

  04-06-2024 00:33 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Colchester Police Department. Photo via Colchester Police
  Burlington police have charged three people with possession of drugs after a police chase through Colchester Friday night that left two occupants of the fleeing vehicle dead.Vermont State Police on Monday afternoon identified the deceased as Damanuel McLeod, 19, of Brooklyn, and Tywon Parker, 28, of the Bronx. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Tayami Barnes, 31, of the Bronx, and Ron Thomas, 21, of Brooklyn, were arrested
  
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• The Vermont Senate loses two giants in a week — and with them, decades of institutional knowledge

  04-06-2024 00:23 via vtdigger.org
  
  Former Sen. Dick Mazza, left, and Sen. Dick Sears, both of whom died recently. Photos by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
  In the span of a single week, Vermont lost two giants of its state Senate.Former Sen. Dick Mazza, D-Grand Isle, died on Saturday, May 25, at 83 years old. The very next Saturday, June 1, Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, died at 81 years old. Between them, the two senators shared seven decades of experience in the Senate and the intangible qualities that come from that length of ser
  
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• Vermont renews, expands student debt repayment program for the class of 2024

  03-06-2024 23:22 via vtdigger.org
  
  The Waterman Building on the University of Vermont campus in Burlington on September 20, 2023. File Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
  State officials have announced an expansion of a debt repayment incentive program that began last year for recent graduates of Vermont colleges working in the state, opening eligibility to master’s students, entrepreneurs and more.This renewed round of the Green Mountain Job and Retention Program provides up to $5,000 in student loan repayment for 2024 gradua
  
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• Vermont communities now eligible for more funding for hazard mitigation projects

  03-06-2024 22:48 via vtdigger.org
  
  A child bikes through floodwater outside the Waterbury Fire Department on July 11, 2023. File photo by David Goodman/VTDiggerThe state of Vermont announced Monday that local municipalities may now be eligible for more money for projects that reduce future flood risk. The state is offering to cover the local match required for towns to receive federal aid for hazard mitigation projects, according to a press release issued by Gov. Phil Scott’s office. About $90 million is availabl
  
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• Five things to know about health information sharing in Vermont

  03-06-2024 16:58 via vtdigger.org
  
  Summer is right around the corner, and for many Vermonters, that means heading to some of the most idyllic spots in the state to enjoy all the season has to offer. However, even within the scenic beauty that is summertime in Vermont, people may still need medical care. Whether it’s an inopportune case of strep throat or scraping your foot on a rusty nail, it’s comforting to know your health information will follow you as you journey anywhere in the state. VITL, Vermont’s
  
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