Police chief’s comments on school locker rooms draw rebuke; More strangers are moving in together; VT prepares to ban the sale of new gas cars by 2035

Vermont's online nonprofit news daily. Please support our reporting. 400 members left to go We only have two more days to reach our goal of sending 10,000 meals to the Vermont Foodbank by Thanksgiving Day. Will you pitch in? Each contribution during our annual fund drive will send 10 meals and sustain our reliable, fact-based news. Donate and send 10 meals Inside VTDigger 400 members still needed in VTDigger food and news drive by VTDigger Member Team We are within striking distance of our Thanksgiving goal. Please join in and support two worthy causes with one donation. Read more... Looking for Vermont Covid-19 data? Visit VTDigger's Covid dashboard, updated on weekdays when new data is available. Crime and Justice Northfield police chief's public comments on school locker rooms draw rebuke by Ethan Weinstein In online posts, John Helfant took aim at Vermont's policy allowing any student to use the locker room associated with their gender identity. Such comments undercut his ability to serve the town and put trans kids at risk, according to the leader of a Vermont organization supporting LGBTQ+ people. Read more... Business & Economy As demand for home share program grows, more strangers move in together by Juliet Schulman-Hall A nonprofit that pairs Vermonters who have stable housing with those in search of affordable rent has up to four times as many "guests" as "hosts." Read more... Crime and Justice New board to take closer look at citizens' experience with Bennington police by Tiffany Tan Bennington's Community Policing Advisory Review Board has set up an internal committee for community outreach, knowing that some residents have reported unfavorable experiences with town police. Read more... Business & Economy The FCC has a new broadband map. Vermont officials say it vastly overstates reality. by Erin Petenko The map is based on service provider-submitted data that appears to contradict state officials' own findings on broadband access in Vermont. Read more... Energy & Environment Vermont officials are ready to ban sale of new gasoline passenger cars by 2035 by Emma Cotton Cars, buses, trucks and other modes of transportation are responsible for 40% of Vermont's climate emissions, making it the state's most polluting sector. Read more... Education At the Irasburg Village School, a math teacher's departure has administrators struggling by Peter D'Auria In the Orleans Central Supervisory Union, the departure points to persistent staffing shortages. Read more... Energy & Environment Neighbors cry foul, but clearcutting and construction approved in Woodstock by Ethan Weinstein After surviving an appeal to the development review board, construction will continue on Rabbit Hill Way. Neighbors argue that construction began without a permit, and the town rubber-stamped the project despite a need for further review. Read more... Education Norwich 13-year-old becomes youngest champ ever in Vermont chess tournament by Valley News Alexander Collins won all four of his matches over the course of a two-day tournament held at Burlington City Hall. "I was kind of surprised, but I just felt good about how I played in the games," he said. Read more...   [News Briefs] Rutland Regional Medical Center CEO resigns Claudio Fort, president and CEO of Rutland Regional Medical Center, has resigned after more than four years in the role, according to an announcement from the hospital Tuesday. Fort will leave the hospital at the end of December, board chair Mark Foley Jr. said in the press release.  Prior to joining Rutland Regional in April […]   Read more   [Obituaries] Janet Betty (Constantine) Pennington, longtime Shelburne resident, master quilter, great-grandmother On April 13, 1957 she married John Robert Pennington and they welcomed 2 daughters Lynne and Kathy. In 1967 they moved to Shelburne, Vermont where she lived most of her life.   Read more Harry Thomas Reed, chocolatier, Navy veteran, Apache Native American Despite his struggles his passion for chocolate making and baking zucchini bread never waned. He could often be seen making his rounds in Randolph selling his amazing sweets.   Read more   [Commentary] Haviland Smith: Will there be political violence in America's future? Things could go either way, but what Trump has done is establish an environment in which violence of all sorts appears to be increasingly acceptable in the general population. Lisa Jablow: In Fish & Wildlife survey, nearly two-thirds of Vermonters oppose trapping  The department spent $45,000 on this survey, more than twice the revenue generated through trapping licenses each year in Vermont. The results are resoundingly clear that the majority of Vermonters oppose trapping. Jim Andrews: The myth of perpetual growth ignores that our planet is finite To maintain working ecosystems, biodiversity, and our life-support system in Vermont (and around the world), we need to work to dispel the myth that a healthy economy requires population growth and increased consumption.   [Press Releases] The Vermont Democratic Party reacts to former President Trump's 2024 announcement Gifford CMO: Enjoy the holidays with your family   [About VTDigger]   Our mission is to produce rigorous journalism that explains complex issues, holds the government accountable to the public, and engages Vermonters in the democratic process.  VTDigger is a project of the Vermont Journalism Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mailing address is VTDigger.org | 26 State Street, Suite 8 | Montpelier, VT 05602   Forward this email to a friend Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Copyright © 2022 VTDigger, All rights reserved. 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