Telegraph reporter on GNAT election night panel; Church removes Trump sign from rectory land

Telegraph reporter to be on GNAT-TV election night panel

GNAT-TV is going live at 8 p.m. on Election Night with news director Andrew McKeever moderating a panel including Cherise Madigan Forbes of The Chester Telegraph, former state Rep. Jeff Wilson and Manchester Town Manager John O’Keefe, all offering commentary and analysis.

Area high school students will also join in the discussion. Town Clerks will provide up-to-the minute ballot results and local candidates will call in to discuss the exciting 2020 campaign.

Election Night LIVE!  will air live Tuesday, Nov. 3 on GNAT-TV’s Public Channel on Comcast Cable (channel number 1074), GNAT-TV’s YouTube Channel, gnat-tv.org, Roku and Apple TV.

GNAT-TV serves the Southern Vermont towns of Arlington, Dorset, Manchester, Peru, Sunderland, Stratton and Winhall (Channel 1074, Channel 1084, Channel 1094); Londonderry and Weston (Channel 1074, Channel 1084). 

Catholic Church removes Trump sign from rectory property

Campaign signs are a traditional way to get your message out to an electorate that drives by at at least 30 mph. But there are rules about such signage. In short:

• You can’t put them up on private property or many public spaces without permission.
• And you definitely can’t put them on trees, telephone poles or in state highway rights of way.

But over the weekend both an illegal sign went up — and was quickly taken down.

A large Trump for President banner was placed at the rectory of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Chester.

Shortly after the Catholic Diocese of Burlington was alerted to the violation on Saturday, it contacted the pastor. “The pastor at St. Joseph’s Church in Chester was not aware that there was a Trump banner on our property and he is on his way to investigate. … He will remove the sign if it is in fact on our property,” said a spokeswoman for the diocese in an email to The Telegraph.

“The Catholic Church in Vermont does not endorse political candidates,” the spokewoman responded to a question. In September, the spokeswoman said, Bishop Christopher Coyne issued this statement: “The Diocese of Burlington does not endorse any individual or political party but teaches that Catholics are encouraged to fulfill their civic duty and vote drawing on both faith and reason to safeguard and ensure the dignity of every human person and promote the common good of all citizens.”

Places of worship could lose their tax exempt status for substantial participation in political activity.