The community buildings for the Burlington Homeless Pod project haven’t been delivered due to labor shortages and supply chain problems.
Watercooler: Labor shortage delays Burlington homeless pod opening
Guy Page
Guy Page is the editor and publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle.
The Bell in the Town Hall
The 151-year-old bell in the Cambridge Town Hall had been hidden for decades, until local third-graders brought it back to life and rang it on Veterans Day.
Despathy: Thankful for free speech, free thought, free press
A friend sent me a link to Vermont Daily Chronicle. I stayed up all night reading. Finally, real news. Free press, Free speech, Free thoughts.
Randolph high school backs down over transgender incident after ADF files lawsuit
Randolph Union High School dropped disciplinary proceedings against 14-year-old Blake Allen after the Alliance for Defending Freedom filed a lawusuit on her behalf.
Talking Turkey: A Thanksgiving Quiz
She came from Mississippi.
Avoid bears – don’t put up bird feeders until Dec. 1
If a bear visits your feeder, take it down for a week.
Blake Allen writes essay on transgender student conflict. But it’s not the one the school wanted
Write an essay admitting your misdeeds, Randolph high school freshman Blake Allen was told by school officials after she complained about a transgender student watching her in the locker room. Well, she wrote an essay…. and now you can read every word on the Fox News website.
Watercooler: Person dies in storage unit fire
Top headlines from Vermont media today.
Connecticut man wanted for drug-related murder busted in Vernon
Shawn Santoro was arguing over drug territory in Hartford, CT when he shot a man on October 4, court records say.
Bennington House challenger wants hand recount
Two Republicans and a Democrat want recounts for House elections in which they narrowly trail the next top vote-getter.
Gay marriage bill advances in U.S. Senate – ADF calls new religious protections just ‘lip service’
A new federal gay marriage law could wipe out the protections for Vermont churches and others opposed by conscience to gay marriage.
Despathy: To meet carbon ‘goals,’ Vermont will play the corporate carbon credit game
Faux solutions will not offer real Vermont emissions reduction, nor will it make water and air cleaner or reduce ubiquitous microplastics.
G20 panelist seeks global digital tracking of vaccination
A digital, global vaccine passport will help nations prepare for the next pandemic, an health official tells the G20.
Benning: To elect candidates, VT GOP must move on from Trump
If the VTGOP is to survive and thrive, we’d best be moving on.
Three drivers busted for 100-MPH+ speeding this weekend
I-89 in Georgia was once again the scene of triple-digit speeding, police say.
Letters: Balint, Welch donate FTX campaign $$ to Right to Life? / Young people terrorized by climate conversation
Now THAT would be atonement.
Support Trump in 2024 – or not?
Dangerous to the entrenched bureaucracy or toxic leader? Readers weigh in – and so can you.
Leahy, Welch, Sanders want ‘locality pay’ boost for federal employees in Windsor, Orange counties
Our senators say federal workers in Orange and Windsor counties deserve “locality pay,” a little-known pay bump for federal employees living in high-cost areas.
Alleged PTO embezzler arrested
The treasurer of the Townshend School PTO embezzled more than $2,000, state police say.
Child dies when SUV strikes I-89 rocky ledge
A child passenger died after a Chevy Suburban drifted off the passing lane shoulder into rock ledges.
Man dead in home explosion
Investigators found the body of a dead man in the burnt debris of a Newfane home.
Shepard: RNC needs Lee Zeldin, Ronna McDaniel must go
With all the issues and challenges facing America, good is not good enough. The Republican Party needs change at the very top, Vermont’s national committeeman says.
Watercooler: UVM Health loses $90 mil / House candidates want recount
Two Republicans and a Democrat are seeking recounts in close House races, VTDigger reports.
Hate-free forum in St. Albans postponed due to illness, NAACP announces
A masks-requested (but not required) hate-free forum sponsored by two government agencies and the NAACP has been postponed due to illness.
Nunnikhoven: Living in the Age of Euphemism
Vermont, the “Reproductive Surgery” State.
$20 million in additional heating assistance announced by State of VT
In addition to emergency housing for the homeless and higher food stamp benefits, the State of Vermont has added $20 million to the emergency heating fund.
Municipal firearms restrictions #1 priority for gun control group
“Repealing the pre-emption law is absolutely on the GunSense legislative agenda,” Casey told VDC.
Republicans outvoted 2-1 in VT November 8 election
Returns for ‘down ballot’ statewide office races show less than 100,000 reliably Republican Vermont voters.
Attempted murder by stabbing in Stamford
One Stamford man is in critical condition and another is in police custody following an early morning stabbing.
Pandemic-era homeless housing, food stamp benefits to continue
The pandemic is (mostly) over, but the increased state benefits for temporary housing and food stamps remain.
$32 mil in fed, state funding to build, rehab 244 homes
With a heavy emphasis on housing low-income and homeless Vermonters, a state housing board has allocated $32 million in government funds.
Watercooler: Whoops! That ‘armed man’ at UMall was just a customer
Concerned about a young man carrying swords at the mall, local police discovered he’s just a customer who bought samurai swords and a BB gun.
Springfield, MA man lead suspect in NEK drug ring bust
An alleged cocaine and fentanyl distribution ring has been interrupted by a federal grand jury indictment.
55 bee species in VT need protection
The team created a watchlist of 55 of the state’s most imperiled species based on their restricted ranges, changes in abundance, and the threats they face.
MA father banned from kids’ school after speaking up at meeting
The Massachusetts school district insists it supports the right of free speech BUT……
Independent Congress candidate ‘moved the needle’
The #4 finisher in the race for Congress offers grateful reflections.
Watercooler: State reopens wintertime Homeless Hotel program
Beginning December 15, Vermont’s homeless will (as during the pandemic) have a warm bed in a ‘homeless hotel.’
RSV surge, result of pandemic masking and social distancing, seen in Vermont
Young children who as infants weren’t exposed to RSV due to social distancing and masking are more vulnerable to it now.
Rural power utilities seek rate hikes
Ukraine’s to blame for big rate hike request, one rural Vermont co-op says.
The Purple Crowberry lives!
Not since Teddy Roosevelt was president of the United States has the purple crowberry been seen in Vermont. Until now.
FTX linked to WEF, Ukraine cryptocurrency site
Collapsed cryptocurrency empire and Becca Balint major donor FTX set up a crypto donation site for the Ukrainian government, the Blaze reports.
Man pleads innocent to butane torch attack on girl: press report
An Albany man has been released on conditions after pleading innocent to burning a girl with a butane torch.
History Corner: A Salem “witch’s” ties to Plainfield
The Martin family left Massachusetts because of the Salem witch trials and relocated to New Hampshire and then to Vermont.
Rep. John Palasik dead at 68
Milton legislator and longtime public servant John Palasik announced this May he would not seek re-election, wishing instead to spend more time with his family – and especially his grandson.
Meyers: Balint team falsely called Molly Gray ‘homophobic’
VTDigger’s coverage of the 2022 race for Congress was not a Watergate moment.
Watercooler: deputy fired for assault elected sheriff
Plenty of election, health, and economic news in Vermont media headlines today.
Burlington mayor wants homelessness ‘rare and brief’
The mayor of Burlington wants to make homelessness rare and brief. It’s neither now.
Balint’s crypto campaign donor collapses. Questions about her future, and the world’s
The collapse of a $32 billion crypto empire raises big questions for campaign contribution recipient Becca Balint – and the rest of the world.
Source Correction: ‘Hate-free forum’ in St. Albans next week; masks REQUESTED
Community members – with or without masks – are encouraged to join a conversation on understanding and addressing bias, discrimination, and hate crimes in Vermont.
Connecticut women busted for intent to sell drugs
A police dog sniffed out the drugs in the erratically-driven car, then two-legged cops found ‘materials consistent with distribution,’ state police say.
Thankful for Vermont wild turkeys
Native wild turkeys disappeared with Vermont forest in the late 1800’s. The birds we see everywhere today are descended from 31 wild turkeys restocked 52 years ago.
Google pays $4 million for misleading Vermonters about location tracking
One byte of information Google would prefer you don’t know: they’re tracking the locations of Vermont’s Android phone users.
McClaughry: Three useful election law improvements
Multi-member districts make for appallingly issue-free elections.
Keelan: for local soccer coach, uncommon service was a common virtue
State trooper, school board member, selectman, soccer coach, husband, dad. Uncommon service indeed.
Phil Scott: Vermonters want us to work together
Hyper-partisan political parties are driving Americans further and further apart – and seem to get the most attention from the media.
Octogenarian cited in fatal crash
An 81-year-old Newport Center man has been charged with negligent operation in a fatal October 3 accident.
In Berlin, Dominion voting machine results audited by hand
Editor’s first person account of his town’s hand-count audit of a statewide race counted by a Dominion vote tabulator.
Roving, would-be child kidnapper in Barre?
Barre cops say there have been sightings of a mid-forties white man driving a blue Ford pickup truck stalking groups of children.
Evslin: Phil Scott wins huge victory – and now has an even huger job ahead of him
Democrats are already discussing huge unfunded mandates, “environmental” legislation which will drive up energy costs and hurt the environment, and schemes which will make housing more expensive and less available.
J.T. Dodge stands his ground
As a candidate and citizen who has irritated a powerful school and a municipal government, I wanted to tread carefully and deliberately.
Bananas Academy presents: Putting the You in G.U.R.U
How to reel in the millions by reeling in the minions.
VT Democratic House gains make ranked choice voting less likely
Ranked Choice Voting, darling of the Progressives, is far less popular with most Democrats – who now control the Vermont State House more than ever.
Feds worked to prevent New England from getting more natural gas for winter
New England could run out of natural gas during a cold snap. A federal agency and the U.S. shipbuilding industry are partly to blame.
Koch: Democracy at stake when ballots are counted
Joe Stalin said what matters isn’t who votes, but who counts the votes.
Lindberg: Feel good about banning slavery? Not so fast
African children are forced to dig up cobalt, essential for EV batteries, with their bare hands.
Fireovid: Republicans, let’s talk about abortion
The Vermont Republican Party has now put many other important rights – parental rights (including school choice), gun ownership rights, religious freedom, freedom of speech, medical choice – in grave peril.
‘Hate-free forum’ in St. Albans next week; masks required
Community members are encouraged to join a conversation on understanding and addressing bias, discrimination, and hate crimes in Vermont.
$100,000 Powerball winning ticket unclaimed
Okay, so it’s not $2.04 billion – but still, $100K Powerball ticket is worth driving to the Vermont Lottery office in Berlin. So far, no-one has.
Richmond criticized for not opening Town Forest to recreation
“What they [Richmond selectboard] seem to be for is an absolute position of making a ton of forest a protected wilderness designation and not allow townspeople recreational opportunities,” a resident says.
Maine’s property tax freeze on seniors – could it happen here?
Permanent Maine residents 65 or older who have owned a home for at least 10 years may apply through their towns to have their property taxes frozen at their current level.
Traffic stop neck grab gets Springfield cop permanent ban
For the second time in less than two months, the Vermont Criminal Justice Council has banned a cop from ever working again for a Vermont law enforcement agency.
St. Albans man recalls Battle of Bastogne
A.St. Albans man recalls when he parachuted into the occupied Netherlands with the 101st Airborne and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
State seeks public input on new trapping regs
The rules are being written to enforce a trapping restriction law passed this year. Two other hunting/trapping restriction laws passed this year are already in effect.
Fireovid: Support parallel media
We absolutely need news outlets through which we can communicate and unwrap the truth like free men and women.
Tucker: The economic disaster of the pandemic response
It seemed to be widely believed in 2020 that the best approach to pandemics was to institute massive human coercion.
Watercooler: Ranked choice voting to get another look in Legislature
Ranked choice voting, a favorite of the Progressives, will be considered by the 2023 Vermont Legislature.
Oregon voters pass gun purchase restrictions
Another deep-blue state now requires new gun owners to undergo training and pass stringent background checks. What will Vermont do?
Green groups eye 2023 Legislature, want all energy from renewable power
Renewable Energy Vermont, a renewable energy industry trade organization, wants all of Vermont’s energy produced by renewable power.
Input sought on eating disorder treatment
Eating disorders among youth were already on the rise before the pandemic. Then (like so much else), it got worse.
Without veto threat, Clean Heat Standard, hard drug legalization, just cause eviction, and minor voting get second chance
Bills vetoed by Gov. Scott this year won’t face the same threat next year.
McClaughry: More reserve power needed to keep grid reliable
Customers should pray for a string of warm winters and more nuclear power, starting now.
Road rage shooting bust in April, sex assault this week
A Burlington man was cited for sexual assault Wednesday.
Tagliavia: So many great people
I met so many great people on the campaign trail. The joy this brings me far outweighs any sadness.
Beerworth: Planned Parenthood spent big on misleading Article 22 advertising
Passage of the Article 22 amendment now permanently shields Planned Parenthood’s abortion business from any oversight or state limitations at any time throughout all nine months of pregnancy.
Wheeler: Successful candidates
They weren’t elected, but they were still successful.
Police investigate assault, shooting of Springfield MA teen
A 19-year-old from Massachusetts is being treated for non-life-threatening gunshot and assault injuries.
Leon: thanks to those with “the courage to stand up and lead”
Life is full of disappointments and the result of this election is one of them. But the journey continues….
Asteroid Article 22 hit the Republicans
News analysis of what happened to Vermont Republican candidates yesterday.
Brooklyn man slain in ‘targeted’ shooting in Rutland
A targeted shooting killed a New York man in Rutland Monday.
Troubles reported with voting machines in Maricopa County, AZ
Arizona elections once again are in the national eye.
Tarrant: Article 22 more about Handmaid’s Tale than women’s rights
A candidate who finished third in a two-seat district offers thoughts about renewable power, Article 22, and good government.
Vermont Election Results for federal, statewide, legislative races
Yesterday’s election left the number of 2023 House Republicans at below 40, and senators at 7. Those numbers make it almost impossible to sustain a gubernatorial veto of progressive legislation.
Article 22, Phil Scott win big on Election Day
Constitutional amendments and Gov. Phil Scott won big in Vermont’s November 8 general election.
Water Cooler: Warmest Nov. 7 ever / Voting hot as 170,000 ballots cast before polls open
A stiff, cold wind blew from the north as Election Day 2022 dawned this morning.
Where will the asteroid hit?
The asteroid might just nail the Democratic/Progressive supermajority in the Vermont House of Representatives.
Land owners push back against lot size restrictions
To preserve forests, proposed town zoning regs would increase minimum building lot size from three to five acres.
Outlaw Outlaw arrested
Police say Outlaw is behind bars.
Follow Vermont election results tonight
The Vermont Secretary of State’s live Election Night Results website page is the best way to follow election returns statewide.
Klar: school tramples parental, student rights
What does it mean when parents tell school officials they can’t question their child about possibly criminal activities? In Randolph, not much
McClaughry: Biden’s idea of our fiscal future
The on-paper deficit reduction in the Inflation Reduction Act is totally wiped out by the administration’s decision to cancel vast swaths of student loan debt.
