Prop 5 could prioritize abortion, sterilization, gender surgeries over other procedures, Right to Life warns

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I encourage the UVM MC board members to contemplate how that guarantee, if successfully passed, will impact the delivery of health care services. And to further contemplate to what extent abortions, sterilizations, sterilization reversals, surrogacy, fertility treatments, gender reassignment surgeries and their reversals, and other reproductive services would become a priority of not only funding, but also the provision of care over other health care services that are not a constitutional guarantee.

Hartford CT men sold coke, heroin in Rutland, fed say

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The defendants are: Ralph Mariani (a.k.a. “D”), 27, of East Hartford, Connecticut; Cedano Brownswell, 26, of Hartford, Connecticut; and Rashane Wedderburn, 25, of Hartford, Connecticut. The five-count indictment includes charges that: Mariani and Wedderburn distributed Fentanyl; Mariani possessed, with the intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl; and Brownswell possessed cocaine base.

Why conservatives don’t trust media

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Nothing reinforces conservatives’ negative media stereotypes more than watching news coverage of an event they attended being falsely portrayed as racist. They know they’re not racist. They know the event (say, the Support the Police rally in July) wasn’t racist. But coverage focused on one unknown person making one derogatory comment. Conclusion: The media came with an agenda.

St. Albans pastor reflects on 37 years at Church of the Rock

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Ludlam was the spiritual leader of the Church of the Rock from 1983 until March when he retired. His journey encompassed every aspect of church and community life. The high points of joy within the church’s sanctuary with weddings and birth and the low and sad points of funerals and death. Ludlum took it all on in stride and became a pillar of the church and Franklin County community over the span of 37 years.

BLM: Black Lives Matter, or Be Like Marx?

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After months of discussions, proposals, and counter proposals, including a contentious November 16 virtual debate, where Mayor Lucas Herring had four over-eager participants ejected, The Barre City Council finally approved a compromise to raise the BLM flag through December, but also the “Thin Blue Line” flag in January. “Clearly we’re not all on the same page here,” stated one attendee. That turn of phrase could be a sublime microcosm for the American public’s polarizing reaction to BLM.

Covid-19 update: No Vermonters on ventilators. School sports postponed. Truancy up. Survivor immunity uncertain. Statewide recovery could take a year

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Vermont’s recovery from the pandemic won’t be over when the vaccine arrives next month, Scott cautioned. “This is going to take many many months….it could be up to a year,” Scott said. Levine said the optimists put the recovery date at spring 2021, the pessimists say late summer. “We’ll all have to practice masking and social distancing for a long period of time….into the spring, for sure,” he said.

Colchester man charged with poaching deer

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Wardens remained on scene conducting surveillance for several hours until a black truck pulled up to the field and backed up to the deer shortly after 11 o’clock. The operator of the truck retrieved the deer and dragged it back to his truck. Wardens apprehended the operator, Stephen Burt.

Vermont impacted by Supreme Court religion ruling?

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At his Nov. 27 press conference, Gov. Phil Scott claimed the SCOTUS decision upholds Vermont Covid regulations allowing religious service attendance of up to 50% of building occupancy. He referenced this passage in the ruling: “there are many other less restrictive rules that could be adopted to minimize the risk to those attending religious services. Among other things, the maximum attendance at a religious service could be tied to the size of the church or synagogue.”

Irasburg church, VT Health Department at odds over facts

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Friday, the Vermont Health Department issued a press release claiming an attendee had tested positive and urged anyone who had contact with the person to get tested. The press release and subsequent media coverage prompted Pastor George Lawson of the New Hope Bible Church to investigate. He determined that not only was the person not present, but also had been tested three times – each time with negative results.

Armed robber sought in Orleans

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Dec. 1 at 9:20 pm, Vermont State Police responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Family Dollar located on Main Street in Orleans. At about 9:15 pm an individual entered the Family Dollar, displayed a weapon and demanded money. He was described as a thin white male about six feet tall and was wearing a dark colored sweatshirt and black pants.

Today’s News: Tuesday, December 1, 2020

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Dec. 1 2020: Restrictions to ease as vaccinations take hold, glass recycling laws flouted by solid waste district, only 17% of FT 2-year degree students graduate on time, VTrans did righteous takedown of Covid protest banner, 9 school districts didn’t ask the Thanksgiving question; more

Government ‘feed the rich’ scams abound, new book reports

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Not discussed are the huge – for Vermont – benefits shoveled out to the renewable industrial complex: feed in tariffs, standard offer, production tax credits, sales tax exemptions, bonus depreciation, free use of the highways by subsidized electric vehicles, and the Renewable Portfolio Standard that requires utilities to buy high-priced electricity from wind and solar producers.

VT lawyer groups reject First Amendment resolution – now citizens must lead

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A few days ago, I asked my colleagues in Caledonia County Bar to urge the Vermont Bar Association to take up the resolution. The response? I was verbally assaulted and publicly shamed. Lawyers said that the resolution was “right wing lunacy”, called my defense of the First Amendment “crazy rantings”, and said my proposal was “raw politics”. Several lawyers told me to stop sending messages—they were busy. One lawyer told me to go home and lie down.

Covid-19 vaccine protest banner removed from I-89 overpass

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A banner raised Sunday morning to protest liability exemption for the Covid-19 vaccine was removed by state workers this afternoon, Jennifer Stella of Health Choice Vermont said. The removal of the banner raised by Health Choice Vermont may be in conflict with a Scott administration policy allowing messaging on state highway property, enacted in June in response to complaints from Black Lives Matter protesters.

Franklin County school district won’t comply with Thanksgiving order

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“The Governor’s order, and the subsequent guidance from the Agency of Education, potentially thrust our young children into adult conversations and decisions, which is not appropriate,” Georgia Elementary School principals Julie Conrad and Steve Emery wrote in a Nov. 25 letter to parents. “It also potentially sets up situations where being dishonest could take precedence over our working together to meet every student and family’s individual needs, and that is not a practice that is in keeping with the character we encourage in our students and each other.”

Split the Ticket Fund delivers holiday warmth

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Many Vermonters in need will receive a surprise gift of warmth this winter thanks to the Split the Ticket Fund. While thousands of Vermont families receive fuel assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, there are many Vermonters that don’t qualify but still need help. These families can receive donations of heating oil, propane, or kerosene from the Split the Ticket Fund, a Vermont based 501c3 non-profit organization.

Top Stories of the Week Nov. 15-21, 2020

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Top Stories of the Week: Dominion in Vermont / Violent criminals don’t belong in jail, State’s Attorney says / Covid restriction opposition unpatriotic, Scott says / GOP wins 7 seats won by abortion, climate legislation backers / Burlington considers oil heat ban / BLM, Blue LIves Matter flags to fly over Barre / Understanding VT media bias

5% of Vermont school children now home schooled

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Five percent of Vermont schoolchildren – one in 20 – are being home schooled, according to statistics received from the Vermont Agency of Education. A total of 79,836 students are enrolled in Vermont public schools during the 2020 school year, according to the Vermont Agency of Education dashboard. That’s down from 83,710 in the 2019 school year.

Burlington, towns consider ban on new oil, gas furnaces

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The ordinance committee in Vermont’s largest city met last night to discuss whether or not they can ban new fossil fuel infrastructure.

The Vermont Fuel Dealers Association has hired an attorney to investigate whether a Vermont municipality can legally ban oil and gas burners or enact a fee that would make it prohibitively expensive to install one. According to this memo from the city of Burlington, under the draft ordinance a new hotel that wants to heat with gas would have to pay an estimated $200,000 for a permit.

Helping Vermont media understand their bias

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Vermont conservatives – and Trump supporters in particular – are media shy. At numerous Trump rallies this reporter has asked flag-waving, sign-carrying, “USA” chanting Vermonters to tell me why they support the president. Those willing to answer usually refuse to give their names. Social and family repercussions are feared. Worse, they tell me they’re worried about losing their jobs.

Native of homeless haven, drug-decrim Portland, Oregon warns fellow Vermonters of what’s coming

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Despite the obvious gentrification of the Portland, Oregon neighborhoods where I grew up, ten years ago there were no tent cities scattered along the city-scapes. Now there are too many to count. Trash and garbage were rarely an eye sore along the shoulders of the inner-city freeways. Today it appears as though little to no money is in the budget for keeping the roads clean.

Where’s concern for huge crowd of Biden partiers?

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What madness is this that the governor, and now the Burlington Free Press, continues to push the false premise that somehow two Halloween parties, a bowling league, and some anecdotal hypotheticals about deer camps, etc., are to blame, while intentionally ignoring mass gatherings? Surely, if there are any upticks in numbers, it is this event that is squarely to blame.

Commentary »

Soulia: What happens when Vermont ignores reality – Part 2

Green: Who cares whether the ref is a white male?

Roper: A VTGOP message for 2026: NO NEW TAXES!

Ellis: We need to talk about money

Tiemann: NEA handbook pushes gender and race-based ideologies on children 

Soulia: When Vermont ignores reality – Part 1

Klar: MAHA’s war on ultra-processed foods was just vindicated

Banzhaf: If “Jingle Bells” is racist, so are milk and fitness

Roper: Given AI’s appetite for electricity, does it make sense to electrify heat and transportation?

Soulia: Act 47 and a story of Vermont’s compact future