Sanders may chair new committee; Defense in murder case wants AG thrown off case; Sheriff faces reprimand; State’s 1st bee report finds 70 new species

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Politics Bernie Sanders in line to chair influential Senate committee on health, education and labor by Lola Duffort "As chairman of the committee, he will focus on universal health care, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, increasing access to higher education, and protecting workers' rights on the job," Mike Casca, a spokesperson for Sanders, said in a statement. Read more... Crime and Justice Defense for accused murderer in Burlington wants AG's office thrown off case over 'unethical conduct' by Alan J. Keays Louis Fortier is accused of stabbing and killing Richard Medina on Church Street in March 2017. His lawyer alleges the Vermont Attorney General's Office improperly contacted a potential witness. The attorney general's office calls the allegation "meritless." Read more... Education Voters said no to combining Addison Northwest and Mt. Abraham school districts. Now what? by Peter D'Auria The decisive vote was a victory for advocates of small elementary schools. But, amid declining enrollment and rising costs, it raises questions about both districts' futures. Read more... Crime and Justice Orange County sheriff faces potential reprimand for allegedly improperly delegating investigative work by Ethan Weinstein Bill Bohnyak is accused of allowing a deputy without the proper certification to investigate crimes, including child sexual assault. He had requested a recount this week after losing his reelection bid by 100 votes. Read more... Politics Candidates call for recounts in 3 Vermont House races by Juliet Schulman-Hall Results of the recounts in the Rutland-2, Bennington-1 and Grand Isle-Chittenden districts are expected at the end of the month. Read more... Energy & Environment Hundreds of Bennington-area residents have received checks from chemical contamination lawsuit by Tiffany Tan Plaintiff attorneys said payments will be going out to about 1,500 more property owners in Bennington and Shaftsbury. They said the process has been disrupted by fraudulent claims and the role of an out-of-state company that unnecessarily offered to help beneficiaries for a fee. Read more... Energy & Environment Vermont's 1st comprehensive bee assessment finds 70 new species — and 55 that need more protection by Emma Cotton "I just find that to be really exciting — that we're starting to pay attention and learn about all the things that were buzzing around, and we didn't even notice them before," one biologist said. Read more...   [News Briefs] None today.   [Obituaries] None today.   [Commentary] Keith LaFountaine: I've lived In Vermont my entire life. Last week, I left. The state has bled young people as long as I can remember. That's nothing new. But I didn't fully appreciate the gravity of that migration until I was in the midst of my own. Stu Lindberg: Prop 2 won't help the 40 million enslaved people in the world Many of the comforts we enjoy as Vermonters and Americans come at the expense of our fellow brothers and sisters who toil and suffer in various forms of endless exploitative relationships. Tina Heywood: So many questions surround plan for new juvenile detention center Who made the decision that it was fundamentally sound to pursue a proposal littered with inconsistencies and half-truths? Who made the decision to allow taxpayers' dollars to be used to defend a private company against litigation? Avi Green: Vermont needs two senators. What happens if there's a vacancy? Let's change the law so that a governor making an interim appointment can only appoint someone aligned with the party that the voters chose for the U.S. Senate in the first place.   [Press Releases] The Arts Bus and Ida Mae Specker release "Vermont, Our Home" music video and original song The holidays and adoptees Jason Van Driesche to run for Burlington South District City Council Seat Legislative breakfasts planned for Lamoille County   [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. Want to change how you receive these emails? 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