Deadly storm batters Northeastern US, knocking out power, grounding flights and flooding roads
A storm barreling through the Northeastern U.S. has flooded roads and downed trees, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, forced flight cancellations and school closures, and killed at least four people.
Vermont police release sketch of a person of interest in the killing of a retired college dean
Vermont State Police have released a sketch of a person of interest in the killing of a retired college dean who was shot dead last week while walking on her favorite trail near the Vermont State University campus.
Robbery suspect who eluded capture in a vehicle, on a bike and a sailboat arrested, police say
Authorities say a Vermont armed robbery suspect who eluded capture in the past week in a vehicle, on a stolen bike, on foot and in a stolen sailboat has been arrested after he was spotted in a kayak on a river.
Books banned in other states fuel Vermont lieutenant governor's reading tour
As some states ban or restrict certain books in schools and libraries, Vermontโs lieutenant governor is on a statewide banned book reading tour, highlighting what he calls the importance of representation, free speech, open dialogue and exchange of ideas.
US east cleans up after deadly storms as New England braces for flooding
Crews across the eastern U.S. are working to clear downed trees and power lines and restore electricity following severe storms that killed at least two people, cut power hundreds of thousands, and forced thousands of flight delays and cancellations.
Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved
As mask mandates and vaccination rules kept falling across the U.S., infections from the latest COVID variants have been quietly taking hold in some places, sparking concern among public health officials but stirring a muted response from pretty much everyone else.
Virus surge hits New England despite high vaccination rates
Despite having some of the highest vaccination rates in the country, the six New England states are still grappling with effects of the delta surge in cases and the strains on the health care system caused by rapidly increasing COVID-19 case counts and more hospitalizations and deaths.
โCool but weird.โ Macyโs store transformed into school
Students commute between classes at Downtown Burlington High School, Monday, March 22, 2021, in Burlington, Vt. Students who once shopped at a downtown mall are now attending high school in the mall's former Macy's department store, taking escalators to and from classes. The existing Burlington High School was closed last August after PCBs were found in the building. The Downtown Burlington High School opened March 4, about six months after school administrators closed the existing school, just under 2 miles away, because toxic industrial chemicals known as PCBs were found in the building and soil during renovations. As school officials looked for space where students could attend school in-person, they eventually eyed the empty department store, which closed in 2018. โIt's weird but cool at the same time,โ said freshman Moses Doe, 15, who said he and his family shopped plenty at Macy's before it became his school.
Phish guitarist to found substance abuse treatment center
Trey Anastasio of Phish performs at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on Friday, June 14, 2019, in Manchester, Tenn. Anastasio plans to start a substance use disorder treatment center in Vermont, where the band was formed in 1983. Anastasio, who is now 14 years sober, announced Thursday, March 4, 2021 that his Divided Sky Foundation has purchased a building for the nonprofit center in Ludlow. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)LUDLOW, Vt. โ Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio plans to start a substance use disorder treatment center in Vermont, where the band was formed in 1983. Anastasio, who is now 14 years sober, announced Thursday that his Divided Sky Foundation has purchased a building for the nonprofit center in Ludlow. The center has not yet been named and will be managed by Ascension Recovery Services, according to his website.
Creator of โBernieโ mittens partners with teddy bear maker
FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2021 file photo, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., wears mittens as he attends President Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. AdSanders raised at least $1.8 million in merchandise for charities stemming from the Jan. 20 image of him seated with his arms and legs crossed, clad in his brown parka and the recycled wool mittens. Vermont Teddy Bear, which makes handcrafted bears for all occasions, including a Bernie one, reached out to Ellis to see if she'd be interested in partnering. AdIn the past, Vermont Teddy Bear has made special bears to raise money for Make-A-Wish Vermont, and recently gave office space to the organization for $1 a year, said James Hathaway, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Vermont. โWe are so grateful to Vermont Teddy Bear, Jen, and of course to Bernie for being so Bernie,โ Hathaway said in a statement.
Bernie Sandersโ mittens, memes help raise $1.8M for charity
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders arrives for the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol for President-elect Joe Biden in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP)About those wooly mittens that U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders wore to the presidential inauguration, sparking endless quirky memes across social media? They've helped to raise $1.8 million in the last five days for charitable organizations in Sanders' home state of Vermont, the independent senator announced Wednesday. The sum comes from the sale of merchandise with the Jan. 20 image of him sitting with his arms and legs crossed, clad in his brown parka and recycled wool mittens. Sanders put the first of the so-called "Chairman Sandersโ merchandise, including T-shirts, sweatshirts and stickers, on his campaign website Thursday night and the first run sold out in less than 30 minutes, he said.
Bernie Sanders spawns splash of memes with inaugural attire
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders arrives for the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol for President-elect Joe Biden in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. And thatโs what I did today,โ Sanders told CBS on Wednesday. People were particularly enthralled with Sandersโ mittens, which were made by a Vermont elementary school teacher who has a side business making mittens out of recycled wool. โI love it that he loves them, and that he wears them,โ Jen Ellis, an elementary school teacher, told NECN-TV. Ryan Leclerc, a hard goods buyer for Onion River Sports in Montpelier, Vermont, said Sanders is more about substance than style.
Bernie bobblehead inspired by Inauguration Day meme available for pre-order
(Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)Jokesters quickly got to work on a hilarious new gag gift inspired by Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders made waves on social media Wednesday as he became the new target for several memes online after trending for his Inauguration Day appearance. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum announced hours after the inauguration that a Bernie-inspired bobblehead would be included in its political lineup celebrating the new presidency. According to the store website, the bobblehead commemorating the Vermont senatorโs viral Inauguration Day meme is high quality and produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum and will be individually numbered. The last-minute addition of Sanders is currently available online for pre-order and expected to ship in May.
Bernie Sandersโ viral mittens were crafted by a Vermont elementary school teacher
While most attendees dressed in formal winter fashion, Sanders sported a more casual look complemented with fleece-lined mittens. According to NBC Boston, the mittens that have become a part of several viral memes were made by Jen Ellis, an elementary school teacher whose daughter went to a child care center owned by a relative of Sanders. โI love it that he loves them, and that he wears them,โ Ellis said according to NBC Boston. โThe fact that these mittens, which were made from recycled and repurposed materials, made it to the national stage is really a shoutout to Vermont,โ Ellis said. โIโm really proud that he took them to D.C. and that he was there for this historic moment.โ
Dog and goat serving as mayor raise money for a playground
In this Jan. 24, 2020 file photo, Lincoln, a Nubian goat, stands in her pen in Fair Haven, Vt. A goat and a dog who were each elected mayor of a Vermont town have helped raise money to renovate a community playground. The Fair Haven town manager came up with the oddball idea of pet mayor elections to raise money and to help get local kids civically involved. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)FAIR HAVEN, Vt. โ A goat and a dog who were each elected mayor have helped raise money to renovate a Vermont community playground. The oddball idea of pet mayor elections to raise money to rehabilitate the playground and to help get local kids civically involved came from a local town manager. Murfeeโs owner, Linda Barker, said that when she was talked into having Murfee get involved in politics, she thought it would be easy to raise money through T-shirts.
Doggie desserts: Ben & Jerryโs enters the pet food business
This photo provided by Ben & Jerryโs shows Ben & Jerryโs dog treats. (Ben & Jerryโs via AP)Ben & Jerryโs isnโt just for people anymore. Doggie Desserts, sold in 4-ounce cups, go on sale in U.S. groceries and pet stores later this month. The treats are made with a base of sunflower butter, the same same ingredient Ben & Jerryโs uses in its non-dairy human desserts. Ben & Jerryโs is the latest food company to pivot to pets, joining Smuckerโs and General Mills.
US colleges mull new virus protocols for studentsโ return
As coronavirus cases are surging around the U.S., some colleges and universities are rethinking some of their plans for next semester. By November, a total of 76 of the roughly 1,400 students on campus had tested positive, the school said. When students come back for the spring semester, St. Michaelโs will begin testing them weekly. Schools that are bringing students back are adjusting testing protocols, introducing new screenings, and eliminating spring breaks to discourage students from traveling to help keep campuses open. In the spring semester, Colby College in Maine wants to add some rapid antigen tests to twice-weekly tests for students, faculty and staff.
Willie Nelson 2020? 4 people in Vermont had โhighโ hopes that would be the case
A handful of people in Vermont embraced their inner Texans for the 2020 election and chose to write in one of the most notable Texas-born country singers, Willie Nelson. According to the Vermont election results, four people wrote in Nelson as their would-be presidential candidate. Of all the votes, 242,820 (or about 65%) went to Joe Biden and 112,704 (or about 30%) went to President Donald Trump. The remaining votes went to libertarian, green and independent candidates, as well as a variety of write-ins. According to NBC, Joe Biden is the president-elect with 306 electoral votes and 51% of the popular vote.
ICE settles lawsuit filed by immigrant activists in Vermont
As part of the settlement in the lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security, ICE will also pay $100,000 to be split among the three activists and Migrant Justice, an advocacy group representing immigrant farmworkers in Vermont. โICE tried to terrorize us by going after our leaders,โ said plaintiff Victor Diaz, a member of Migrant Justice, at a rally outside the federal courthouse on Wednesday. Afterward, Thelma Gomez, of Migrant Justice, said what happened was a clear example of what happens when the people rise up to defend their rights. Before the arrest, she said, ICE tried to enter her email account and used a confidential informant to spy on the groupโs members and gather information about them. At the time of the settlement, the agency commissioner said she was pleased her department was able to work with Migrant Justice on an agreement.
Some gardeners in a pickle over scarce canning supplies
MARSHFIELD, Vt. Its the time of year when gardeners are turning their ripe tomatoes into sauces and salsas and cucumbers into pickles. Theyve gone from store to store and some have given in to paying higher prices online for certain precious so-called canning supplies. We have been everywhere, said Vanessa Ware of Hurricane, West Virginia, who said she went to at least a half-dozen stores after running out of supplies for her tomatoes, peppers, corn and sauerkraut canning. Ware, in West Virginia, was finally able to find some bands for her canning. ____AP reporter John Raby contributed to this report from Charleston, West Virginia.
Voting in person Nov. 3? Expect drive-thrus, sports arenas
States are considering drive-thrus, outdoor polling places and curbside voting as they examine creative ways to safely offer same-day polling places during a pandemic. Election Day is expected to bring a surge in mail-in voting, but some people may feel more comfortable casting their ballots in person amid concerns about recent mail delays following a series of operational changes at the U.S. Several states conduct their elections almost entirely by mail, and mail-in voting is well established in others. In June, Utah broke voter turnout records despite not opening traditional polling places because of the virus. In-person voting will be back in November, but rather than only using schools, churches and public buildings like usual, clerks also are permitted to set up drive-thru or outdoor polling places.
Acevedo calls for national policing standards on first night of Democratic convention
HOUSTON For the first time in U.S. history, a mostly-virtual Democratic National Convention was called into session Monday night. The most anticipated addresses of the first night came from the keynote speakers -- Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former first lady Michelle Obama. Both Acevedo and Biden agreed there is a need for national policing standards. Acevedo said, in terms of chokeholds, the death of George Floyd and others should be used to make changes and take policing to the next level. (It) is what everyone wants, including all the good cops that are out there, Acevedo said.
UK govt, Ben & Jerry's in spat over treatment of migrants
FILE - In this file dated Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, British Home Secretary lawmaker Priti Patel, leaves 10 Downing Street in London. Relations between British government and ice cream maker Ben & Jerrys chilled Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 in a spat about the treatment of migrants. The Vermont-based dessert brand directed a tweet Monday at Britains interior minister, Home Secretary Priti Patel, who has vowed to stop asylum seekers crossing the English Channel from France to England in small boats. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)LONDON Relations between the British government and ice cream maker Ben & Jerrys chilled Wednesday in a spat over the treatment of migrants. Hundreds of people have made the dangerous crossing in the past weeks of calm summer weather.
States eager to expand broadband, wary of CARES Act deadline
A Consolidated Communications technician works on a line used to provide broadband internet service in a rural area on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, in Stowe, Vt. Vermont officials are working to expand internet service using federal pandemic relief funds. To comply with the current CARES Act rules, states must have the broadband projects, which can typically take months if not years of planning and construction, up and running by Dec. 30. That work is still ongoing.New Hampshire is planning to spend $50 million to expand broadband into underserved parts of the state. The goal of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, passed by Congress in March was to help states cope with the coronavirus pandemic quickly. It's unclear what Vermont would do if Congress were to give the state more time to act on CARES Act projects.
Students, alumni clamor to take care of university's cows
Cows on pasture at the University of Vermont dairy farm eat hay Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Burlington, Vt. When the coronavirus pandemic forced the University of Vermont to close and send its students home, the school worried about who would take care of the cows, normally tended to by students. The universitys beloved herd of about 100 dairy cows is normally tended by students taking part in the Cooperative for Real Education in Agricultural Management program, or CREAM. In no time, dozens of CREAM alumni and students clamored to spend their spring and summer caring for the Holsteins. They have really, really shined in every single way possible and I am, I will never forget them, Bodette said, choking up.
Farmer returns prosthetic leg that skydiver lost during jump
(AP) A Vermont skydiver who lost his prosthetic leg during a jump has it back, thanks to a farmer who kept an eye out for it and spotted it in a soybean field. Double amputee Chris Marckres, of Hyde Park, went for a jump Saturday at Vermont Skydiving Adventures in West Addison and lost one of his prosthetic legs after leaping from the plane. I think my adrenaline was so high and I was just so excited, I didnt realize I had lost it, Marckres told NECN and NBC10 Boston. He then put out the word on social media that hed lost his leg. Farmer Joe Marszalkowski saw the post before finding the prosthetic on Sunday in a soybean field.
Summer vacationers weigh testing, quarantine or staying home
Janet Mills thought she was doing the tourism industry a favor by providing an alternative to the 14-day quarantine. Visitors can skip the quarantine altogether if they can show theyve tested negative for the virus within 72 hours before arrival. Travelers to Alaska who are tested upon arrival are allowed to avoid further quarantine if they test negative. In Vermont, visitors can cut short the two-week quarantine if they get a test after a week that comes back negative. Visitors can avoid a quarantine by being tested before they arrive, or they can reduce the quarantines duration by being tested after arrival.
Vermont looks to become first state to provide universal meals to public school students
(CNN) โ A Vermont lawmaker is looking to make the state the first to provide meals to all public school students. State Democratic Sen. Debbie Ingram filed a bill last week that would provide free breakfast and lunch to all public school students pre-K through 12th grade. The Vermont lawmaker was not able to provide specific details about how funds would be diverted from the Education Fund to the meal program. Currently, roughly 16,400 public school students in Vermont receive taxpayer-funded breakfast and lunch, according to Hunger Free Vermont Executive Director Anore Horton. Horton told CNN the bill is about eliminating the "stigma and shame" students and families could experience incurring debt in the traditional school meals program.