All Entries in the "Featured" Category
State relying on ‘education’ for worker compliance to ‘restart’ directives
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Noting that social distancing and the wearing of face masks are “here to stay,” Vermont’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Mark Levine, said that people could expect them to be “part of the Vermont scene even as we reopen Vermont.” At the state’s regular Covid-19 press conference on Monday, […]
News Analysis: Bottom falls out of state education fund, massive tax increases loom
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC School district boards across the state will have some urgent thinking to do as the depth of the education funding crisis they face begins to be expressed in dollars of shortfall and cents in tax increases in the near future. At its meeting on April 16, members […]
FAQ: Coronavirus disease 2019
Reprinted with permission of Howard B. Owens of the Batavian in New York. What is Covid-19? Covid-19 is a disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Why is the disease called Covid-19? COVID is an acronym for “coronavirus disease.” The “19” is for the year of discovery, 2019. What is SARS-CoV-2? SARS is an acronym […]
Weston board OK’s paving bid for Lawrence Hill, Chester Mountain roads
By Bruce Frauman ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Weston Select Board on Tuesday, April 14 approved a bid of $290,539 from Fuller Sand and Gravel of Danby pending review and approval of Road Foreman Almon Crandall. The bid is almost $50,000 under the next lowest bid, according to board member Jim Linville. The bid is […]
Derry Emergency Management chief outlines actions during Covid-19 crisis
By Bruce Frauman ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Londonderry Select Board met for two hours and 40 minutes on April 20 in a Zoom session mostly to hear about what work Emergency Management Director Kevin Beattie was doing to protect the community during the Covid-19 crisis. Beattie said a virtual Emergency Operations Center to respond […]
Infection curve continues to flatten; Covid-19 numbers are moving target
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC During Gov. Phil Scott’s Monday press conference in Montpelier, state Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine noted that the slope of the Covid-19 infection curve “has clearly changed toward more of a plateau.” Using three charts, Levine pointed to the how the number of new infections changed with […]
State asks Chester, other towns for economic development funds
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC With a request from Vermont to dedicate a portion of the Chester Development Fund to a state-run loan program, the Chester Select Board on Wednesday night turned to Bob Flint of the Springfield Regional Development Corp. to help explain what’s happening. Flint said that the legislature has […]
Small biz urged to apply for SBA loan programs Congress, White House working to add funds to PPP, EIDL
By Evan Chadwick ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC With the Covid-19 health crisis continuing to cause large scale shutdowns of small businesses across Vermont, small town businesses have been compelled to collaborate more than ever before in an effort to seek emergency funding that has been rolled out as part of the federal CARES Act signed […]
Ripley named GM interim principal as Fierman prepares to take helm at TRSU GM board calls for action to meet 'dire' shortfalls, SU floats administration raises
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Green Mountain Unified School District board on Thursday approved a proposal by incoming Superintendent Lauren Fierman to reorganize the administration of Green Mountain High School with Associate Principal Michael Ripley taking on the role of interim principal. When the board came out of the executive session […]
Banks, credit unions alter policies, hours, services during pandemic
By Christian Avard ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Local businesses and residents are feeling the economic pinch from the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses are laying off workers; most are closed temporarily and some are going out of business. The Vermont Department of Labor has been overwhelmed with new unemployment claims. Gov. Phil Scott is ordering all Vermonters […]
S. Vt. gets one out of 19 members on economic recovery panel Local lawmakers: Our communities should have bigger voice
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing A 19-member “task force” to restart the state’s economy after the peak of the coronavirus pandemic has only one member who lives in southern Vermont and the group’s meetings will not be subject to Vermont’s Open Meetings Law, Gov. Phil Scott said at a press conference Wednesday. On […]
Gymnast Prescott honored with All-Star status Cornell senior of Chester leaps from gym to future in engineering
By Evan Chadwick ©2020 Telegraph Publishing Chester native and Cornell University senior Maci Prescott has been named a national Senior All-Star by U.S. Gymnastics in her final year competing for the Cornell Big Red Women‘s gymnastic’s team. With the national meet canceled due to the Covid-19 shutdowns, “U.S. Gymnastics wanted to honor seniors that did […]
During Covid-19 crisis, market-delis struggle with changing consumer demands
By Bruce Frauman ©2020 Telegraph Publishing While grocery stores such as the Londonderry Village Market and Lisai’s Chester Market continue to do steady business during the Covid-19 stay home orders, many of the smaller markets that offer not only specialty foods but meals as well have seen their sales take a dive as they work […]
Scott extends ‘stay home’ order, hints at opening businesses
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Saying that Vermonters are saving lives by staying home, Gov. Phil Scott announced Friday that he is extending to May 15 the state of emergency including the Stay Home Stay Safe order in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. “I know how disappointing this to many,” said Scott, […]
No Covid-19 in water: Chester among 690 Vermont systems ordered to chlorinate water State director says mandate aids vulnerable population
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Under state orders, Chester has begun adding chlorine to its town water supply, something that it had previously only done as a precaution after a water main break or when bacteria is detected during routine weekly testing. The state mandate, Bryan Redmond, director of the Drinking Water […]
Funding at heart of startup Ludlow private school
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC A new private, independent high school in Ludlow will be pushing hard to raise the funding it needs to open in the coming school year, according to its board chair Sean Williams. The task is made doubly difficult by the effect of a global pandemic on the […]
‘First’ extension of stay at home to be announced Friday
By Shawn Cunningham © Telegraph Publishing LLC Gov. Phil Scott announced Wednesday that on Friday he will announce the “first extension” of his stay-at-home orders that have closed shops, restaurants and schools and kept many people at home. During his Wednesday press conference, Scott also said that the administration would also provide an update on […]
Health Dept. rolls out new Covid-19 dashboard More detailed demographic information available
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Vermont’s Department of Health today rolled out a new Covid-19 activity dashboard that gives the public much more detailed information than has been available to date. There are still totals of tests, infections, hospitalizations and deaths and there’s still a map, but now a visitor to the […]
Victim advocates unsettled by drop in help hotline calls during stay-at-home order
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Advocates for victims of domestic violence are seeing a significant drop in the number of calls to help hotlines since the state mandated stay at home orders in mid-March. And they find that drop “unsettling.” On Monday, Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling said that overall 911 […]
Early spurt of gardens, seed sales, farm shares With social distancing regs, farmers markets remain in limbo
By Evan Chadwick ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Covid-19 crisis has spurred an early spike in sales of seeds and growing supplies as well as people signing up for Community Supported Agriculture, even while it has stymied this summer’s farmers markets. Jon Cohen, farmer and owner of Deep Meadow Farm in Ascutney, says that so […]
