Governor Peter Shumlin announced July 30 that he will appoint attorney John Valente, a shareholder and director at the Rutland law firm of Ryan, Smith, and Carbine, Ltd., to the Vermont Superior Court. Valente fills the seat left open by the retirement of Judge David Suntag. Valente’s practice currently centers around workers’ compensation, employment, and…

On July 31, Green Mountain Power announced it has reached two agreements with stakeholders that will result in a net 0.76 percent decrease in electric bills, if approved by the Public Service Board (PSB). The filings, if approved, will take effect on Oct. 1, 2015 and follow upon last year’s 2.46 percent rate decrease. The…

By Erin Mansfield, VTDigger.org The Shumlin administration’s push to meet a key Vermont Health Connect milestone deadline eight weeks ago could leave the state on the hook for another $2.7 million it didn’t expect to pay. The Joint Fiscal Office wrote in a July 24 memo that Vermont won’t be able to rely on between…

On July 30, the Senate to passed a stopgap measure that would keep federal funds flowing to transportation projects throughout the United States for three months. “I reluctantly voted for a three-month extension to avoid a shutdown of federal  highway and transportation projects,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who serves on the Senate transportation committee…

By Anne Galloway, VTDigger.org A revised revenue forecast for fiscal year 2016 puts the state back in the black. State economists say the general fund tax receipts will grow by 3 percent in the coming year, or by $40 million. At the beginning of 2015, revenues were down by $18 million. The revised forecast, presented…

Dear Editor, Concrete and asphalt do not constitute progress. Progress is having the vision to reserve fertile and open land for any number of agricultural purposes. Progress is assisting former vibrant downtowns to become healthy again by focusing economic activity and workers and customers in these already existing downtown centers. Think Randolph and Bethel. Progress…

Dear Editor, I would like to reply to Richard Kropp’s letter to the editor from June 17. Mr. Kropp suggests our town is not using the options tax money to reduce taxes as Rutland Town does and questions the golf course debt, as well as the repair and maintenance of assets such as the pool…

By Frankie L. Trull Blind mice are famous in nursery rhymes—and maybe soon, in scientific laboratories. A team of Swiss scientists recently restored sight in blind lab mice by injecting new, light-sensing cells into their eyes. They’re working to develop a cure for acquired blindness in people. Today, millions of mice are bred for medical…

By Deb Markowitz, Secretary of Vermont Agency of Natural Resources When Vermonters see a problem, we work to fix it. That is why earlier this year Vermont signed onto two historic climate agreements which will strengthen our state’s resolve to combat carbon pollution and transition to a new clean energy economy. In April, Governor Shumlin…

Dear Editor, My letter to the editor in the July 16-22 edition was a simple question of transparency. I asked why the auditor’s report showed (on page 9) a $815,491 debt from Irene. Nowhere did I mention this money was due to an outside entity. In Selectboard Chair Patty McGrath’s response last week (the July…

Dear Editor, On June 2, 2015, Governor Shumlin signed into law Act 46 of 2015. This landmark education legislation calls on school boards and administrators to lead changes in their districts and supervisory unions that will result in greater opportunities for students, increased efficiency in delivering services, and more sustainable governance structures. Act 46 provides…

Submitted J.P. MURPHY Thursday, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m. — FAIR HAVEN — Irish band J.P. Murphy will be performing in the Fair Haven Park on Thursday, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m. as part of the summer music festival. With a tremendous energy, J.P. Murphy will engage the audience in many of their songs. The group performs…

Submitted ALISSA JOHANNSEN RUBIN Thursday, Aug. 6 at 7:30 p.m. — SHREWSBURY — Alissa Johannsen Rubin, New York Times Paris Bureau chief and Spring Lake Ranch trustee, will be speaking at the Shrewsbury Meeting House on Thursday, Aug. 6, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Rubin, who joined the New York Times in 2007, will explore the question of…

Courtesy of Okemo Mountain Resort Hops in the Hills guests enjoy samples of their favorite brews in complimentary festival glasses. Aug. 7-9 — LUDLOW — Okemo Mountain Resort will host its annual Hops in the Hills Beer and Wine Festival, a Vermont Chamber of Commerce Top Ten summer event, Aug. 7 through 9. Jackson Gore will be…

Submitted MASTER CANTOR MELANIE COOPERMAN Friday, Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. — WOODSTOCK — The musical focus this summer continues at Congregation Shir Shalom in Woodstock with of a full weekend of music and song led by Cantor Melanie Cooperman, a rising star within Reform Judaism. A native of Minneapolis, Cooperman earned both her bachelor’s and master’s…